The 10 Hardest Engineering Majors

Engineering is widely considered one of the most demanding academic fields in higher education, but difficulty varies significantly across disciplines. Some engineering majors emphasize advanced mathematics and theoretical problem-solving, while others involve intensive lab work, complex systems design, or heavy project-based workloads.

A 2023 study by Dr. William Novik analyzed nearly 2.8 million student reviews of more than 150,000 professors across 218 colleges and universities to measure the relative difficulty of engineering majors. Using those reviews, the study generated difficulty scores that revealed major differences in how students experience various engineering disciplines.

Understanding why certain engineering majors are considered more difficult than others can help students choose a path that aligns with their strengths, goals, and tolerance for rigorous technical work. Below, we’ll rank the 10 hardest engineering majors from the study, break down what makes each challenging, and highlight colleges known for offering these programs.

• The Hardest Engineering Majors Ranked
• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Aerospace Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Nuclear Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Want to Get into a Top Engineering Program?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

The Hardest Engineering Majors Ranked

As mentioned earlier, the rankings in this guide are based on a 2023 paper by Dr. William Novik of George Washington University. The study analyzed nearly 2.8 million student reviews of more than 150,000 professors across 218 colleges and universities to measure how difficult students perceived different majors to be.

Here are the hardest engineering majors:

These rankings measure academic difficulty as experienced by students, not career value, salary potential, prestige, or admissions competitiveness.

Each engineering major received a difficulty score on a 1-to-5 scale based on the average effort students reported was required to earn an A in their courses. The rankings also include the percentage of professors in each major who were rated at difficulty 3.0 or higher, which helps capture how consistently rigorous the curriculum is across the program.

Although Chemical Engineering ranks highest, the score differences between many of these majors are relatively small. All ten disciplines are academically demanding, and even the “lowest-ranked” majors on this list still require intensive math, science, and technical coursework compared to most non-engineering fields.

Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineering ranked as the hardest engineering major in the Novik (2023) study. The field combines chemistry, physics, biology, and advanced mathematics, requiring students to balance abstract scientific theory with complex engineering design. Topics such as transport phenomena, reaction engineering, and thermodynamics are especially known for their difficulty, alongside intensive lab and math-heavy coursework.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, chemical engineers earned a median annual salary of $121,860 in May 2024. Employment in the field is projected to grow 3% from 2024 to 2034, with graduates working across industries such as energy, pharmaceuticals, specialty chemicals, and food production.

Top programs in U.S. News’ Best Chemical Engineering Programs rankings include:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• University of California, Berkeley
• California Institute of Technology
• Stanford University
• Georgia Institute of Technology

Materials Science

Materials science examines how the structure and composition of materials affect their properties and performance, combining chemistry, physics, mathematics, and engineering. Students study everything from metals and semiconductors to biomaterials and nanotechnology. The major is considered difficult because it requires students to understand complex atomic- and molecular-level behavior while applying that knowledge to real-world engineering problems.

Materials engineers earned a median annual salary of $108,310 in May 2024, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in the field is projected to grow 6% from 2024 to 2034, with graduates working in industries such as aerospace, electronics, energy, manufacturing, and biotechnology.

Top schools in U.S. News’ Best Global Universities for Materials Science rankings include:

• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Stanford University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• University of California, Los Angeles
• Harvard University

Aerospace Engineering

Aerospace engineering focuses on the design, testing, and development of aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and propulsion systems, combining advanced physics, mathematics, fluid mechanics, and systems engineering. Students often find courses such as aerodynamics, propulsion, and flight dynamics especially challenging because of the major’s heavy emphasis on complex mathematical modeling and highly technical design work.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, aerospace engineers earned a median annual salary of $134,830 in May 2024. Employment in the field is projected to grow 6% from 2024 to 2034, with graduates working in industries such as aviation, defense, space exploration, and advanced manufacturing.

Top institutions according to U.S. News’ Best Aerospace Engineering Programs rankings include:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• California Institute of Technology
• Stanford University
• Purdue University

To learn more about top programs in this field, check out our guide to the 10 best astronautical engineering colleges in the U.S.

Electrical Engineering

Electrical engineering studies electrical systems, circuits, electronics, signal processing, and electromagnetism. It requires students to combine advanced mathematics with highly abstract technical concepts. Courses such as circuit analysis, signals and systems, and electromagnetics are especially known for their difficulty.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual salary of $111,910 for electrical engineers in May 2024. Employment of electrical and electronics engineers is projected to grow 7% from 2024 to 2034, with graduates working across industries such as energy, telecommunications, semiconductor technology, robotics, and computing.

Top programs according to U.S. News’ Best Electrical Engineering Programs rankings include:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Stanford University
• University of California, Berkeley
• California Institute of Technology
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

For a closer look at leading programs in this field, read our guide to the 10 best colleges for electrical engineering in the U.S.

Nuclear Engineering

Nuclear engineering deals with nuclear energy systems, radiation, reactor design, and atomic processes, drawing heavily from physics, thermodynamics, materials science, and advanced mathematics. Students often struggle with courses such as reactor physics, radiation transport, and heat transfer because of the major’s highly technical and math-intensive coursework.

Nuclear engineers earned a median annual salary of $127,520 in May 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While employment in the field is projected to decline 1% from 2024 to 2034, about 800 openings for nuclear engineers are projected each year, on average, over the decade, largely due to workers retiring or transferring to other occupations.

Top institutions according to U.S. News’ Best Nuclear Engineering Programs rankings include:

• University of Michigan
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• University of Wisconsin–Madison
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering combines physics, mathematics, mechanics, and design to develop machines, manufacturing systems, engines, robotics, and other mechanical technologies. Students often find courses such as dynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and machine design especially difficult because of the major’s heavy emphasis on problem-solving, mathematical modeling, and complex systems analysis.

In May 2024, the median annual salary for mechanical engineers was $102,320, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in the field is projected to grow 9% from 2024 to 2034, with graduates working across industries such as manufacturing, aerospace, robotics, automotive engineering, and energy.

Some of the top-ranked schools in U.S. News’ Best Mechanical Engineering rankings include:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Stanford University
• California Institute of Technology
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• University of California, Berkeley

You can also explore our list of the 10 best colleges for mechanical engineering in the U.S. to learn more about top programs in this field.

Materials Engineering

While materials science focuses more on understanding the structure and behavior of materials at the atomic and molecular level, materials engineering emphasizes applying that knowledge to improve manufacturing processes and real-world products. Students study metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, and biomaterials while tackling advanced chemistry, physics, thermodynamics, engineering design, and demanding laboratory work.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual salary of $108,310 for materials engineers in May 2024. The field is projected to grow 6% from 2024 to 2034, with career opportunities in industries such as aerospace, electronics, energy, manufacturing, and biotechnology.

Leading schools in U.S. News’ Best Materials Engineering Programs rankings include:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Northwestern University
• Stanford University
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineering combines engineering principles with biology and medicine to develop medical devices, imaging systems, prosthetics, biomaterials, and healthcare technologies. Students often find the major difficult because it requires balancing advanced engineering coursework with subjects such as biology, physiology, chemistry, and biomechanics.

Bioengineers and biomedical engineers earned a median annual salary of $106,950 in May 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in the field is projected to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034, with about 1,300 openings projected each year, on average, over the decade.

Leading schools in U.S. News’ Best Biomedical Engineering Programs rankings include:

• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Johns Hopkins University
• Stanford University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• University of California, San Diego

Interested in this field? Our guide to the 10 best colleges for bioengineering in the U.S. breaks down some of the country’s top programs.

Computer Engineering

Computer engineering combines electrical engineering and computer science to develop computer hardware, processors, embedded systems, and computing technologies. Students often find the major difficult because it requires mastering both low-level hardware concepts and complex programming, along with advanced mathematics, circuit design, and systems architecture.

With growing demand for advanced computing systems, computer hardware engineers earned a median annual salary of $155,020 in May 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The field is projected to grow 7% from 2024 to 2034, with about 4,700 job openings expected each year over the decade.

Top universities in U.S. News’ Best Computer Engineering rankings include:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• University of California, Berkeley
• Stanford University
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Georgia Institute of Technology

If you want to compare leading programs in this field, our guide to the 10 best colleges for computer engineering highlights some of the strongest options in the country.

Civil Engineering

Civil engineering involves the design and construction of infrastructure such as bridges, highways, buildings, water systems, and transportation networks. Students often find the major challenging because it combines structural analysis, fluid mechanics, geotechnical engineering, and large-scale design projects with intensive mathematics and physics coursework.

Civil engineers earned a median annual salary of $99,590 in May 2024, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The field is projected to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034, with about 23,600 job openings expected annually over the decade.

Some of the top schools in U.S. News Best Civil Engineering Programs rankings include:

• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Stanford University
• University of Michigan

Want to Get into a Top Engineering Program?

Applying to top engineering schools can be highly competitive, especially for students pursuing demanding fields such as chemical engineering, aerospace engineering, or computer engineering. Strong applicants typically need excellent grades, rigorous coursework, meaningful extracurricular involvement, strong essays, and a clear academic direction.

AdmissionSight’s Senior Editor College Application Program gives you one-on-one guidance as you prepare your applications for competitive engineering schools. Our admissions experts can help you strengthen your academic profile, improve your extracurricular involvement, develop stronger essays, and build a strategic college list tailored to your goals. You can learn more about our services by booking an initial consultation today.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the hardest engineering major?

Based on a 2023 working paper by Dr. William Novik of George Washington University, chemical engineering received the highest difficulty score among engineering majors. The field is known for combining advanced chemistry, mathematics, physics, and engineering design with intensive laboratory work.

2. How are engineering majors ranked by difficulty?

The rankings in this guide are based on a 2023 working paper by Dr. William Novik of George Washington University, which analyzed nearly 2.8 million student reviews of more than 150,000 professors across 218 colleges and universities. Majors were ranked based on how much effort students reported was required to earn an A in their courses.

3. What is the easiest engineering major?

There is no universally agreed-upon “easiest” engineering major because difficulty depends heavily on a student’s strengths and interests. However, some engineering disciplines generally involve less mathematically abstract coursework or lighter laboratory requirements than others.

4. Is chemical engineering harder than electrical engineering?

In the Novik (2023) study, chemical engineering received a slightly higher average difficulty score than electrical engineering. However, both majors are considered extremely rigorous, and many students find electrical engineering equally demanding because of its abstract mathematics and theory-heavy coursework.

5. Does the hardest engineering major lead to the highest-paying career?

Not necessarily. Salary potential depends on many factors, including industry, specialization, experience, and location. Some engineering fields with lower difficulty rankings may still lead to extremely high-paying careers.

Takeaways

• A 2023 working paper by Dr. William Novik of George Washington University ranked chemical engineering as the hardest engineering major based on student-reported difficulty scores.
• Different engineering majors are difficult for different reasons, from abstract mathematics and theoretical physics to intensive laboratory and design work.
• Many of the hardest engineering majors also lead to strong career outcomes, with high salaries and steady job demand across industries such as energy, computing, aerospace, healthcare, and manufacturing.
• Interested in applying to a top engineering school? Work with a private admissions expert who can help you build a stronger and more competitive application.