If you’re interested in electronics and want to be able to design hardware and software in the future, you may want to study both electrical engineering and computer science in college. We’ve compiled ten of our favorite dual programs, double majors, and majors with a concentration combining electrical engineering and computer science. These are often interdepartmental programs and are great for students interested in entrepreneurship, tech, product design, and physical technological goods.
Graduating with a degree that covers both electrical engineering and computer science opens up impressive professional opportunities with high starting salaries, but be prepared for an intense course of study that is time-consuming and mentally challenging.
If you feel ready for an engineering and computer science program but aren’t quite as confident about the college admissions process, send us an email. We help students chart a course to a successful future.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) — Cambridge, Massachusetts
MIT is the most famous place to study tech and engineering in the United States for good reason. Students here can declare an Electrical Engineering and Computer Science major, with tracks in Biomedical Systems, Quantum Systems Engineering, Computer Architecture, Energy Systems, Hardware Design, and more.
Yale University — New Haven, Connecticut
One of the best schools in the world, Yale offers Electrical Engineering and Computer Science as an “interdepartmental major designed for students who want to integrate work in these two fields.”
Stanford University— Stanford, California
By declaring an Individually Designed Major in Engineering, students at Stanford, another top school globally, can craft a major combining computer science and engineering. Students can also do a Computer Science or Electrical Engineering major with a minor in the opposite subject depending on which is their preferred subject.
Cornell University — Ithaca, New York
Students in the Computer Science major at Cornell, a member of the Ivy League, offers three options for adding electrical engineering. Students can add it as a specialization within the major, a double major, or a minor in Engineering that will be reflected on your transcript after graduation (which isn’t universal of minors). There is also a CS Engineering major.
University of California - Berkeley — Berkeley, California
Berkeley offers an Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences major that combines both subjects, or you can do the 5-year BS/MS program and graduate with a Masters degree. There is also a minor in this program, and you can joint major with Materials Science and Engineering or Nuclear Engineering.
Northwestern University — Evanston, Illinois
The dual degree between engineering and computer science at Northwestern is easy for students to coordinate, as both are within the McCormick School of Engineering. As a balanced degree, you’ll spend close to 50% of your time on each.
University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) — Los Angeles, California
UCLA offers another computer science and engineering combined major, offering students a balanced program in a really beautiful place to study. With all the math, you’ll want to take advantage of warm weather and refreshing water.
New York University — New York, New York
Another impressive dual degree program is the one in Computer Science and Engineering offered by New York University. Students can access impressive internship opportunities with tech startups throughout the city.
Northeastern University— Boston, Massachusetts
Students interested in computer science and engineering at Northeastern can pursue an intercollege dual major in Computer Engineering and Computer Science. At the university, Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering are in the same department.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute — Troy, New York
At RPI, the Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering major offers a strong combination of various forms of engineering, with one big difference. While computer science is more about what computers can do, Computer Systems Engineering is about how they are built to do those things that they can do.
If you choose to major in engineering and computer science, you’ll be spending a lot of time with your head in books and your computer, so be sure to pick a school where you’ll really enjoy everything outside of your major as well, from the dorms to the library to the food to the social life. You’ll need a good break from time to time!
If you need help identifying your dream school, send us an email. We help students like you find, and get into, their perfect fit.