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Key takeaway: Computer engineering is the discipline that sits between electrical engineering and computer science – it covers the hardware computers are built from, the software that runs closest to that hardware, and the design decisions that connect the two. Degrees are commonly titled BS in Computer Engineering (BSCpE) or MS in Computer Engineering. At the bachelor’s level, ABET programmatic accreditation is a meaningful and checkable signal, unlike in most computing fields. Fully online BSCpE programs exist but are considerably rarer than online computer science degrees, largely because of laboratory requirements. Compare accredited programs below.
Computer engineering coursework starts with the same mathematics and physics foundation as other engineering disciplines, then moves through digital logic, circuits, computer architecture, embedded systems, and hardware description languages. What distinguishes it from computer science is that the abstraction stops at the transistor rather than at the operating system. Accredited online programs generally deliver the same curriculum and degree titles as campus programs; browse the best accredited online colleges to compare schools that offer them.
These accredited schools offer online programs. Request information to compare programs, costs, and formats.
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:
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Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Computer engineering graduates work for semiconductor and hardware manufacturers, defense and aerospace contractors, medical device companies, automotive and industrial firms, telecommunications providers, and software companies building systems close to the hardware. The occupations below are commonly associated with computer engineering coursework. Median annual wages come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
| Occupation | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Computer Hardware Engineer | $161,740 |
| Software Developer | $135,980 |
| Computer Network Architect | $134,050 |
| Electronics Engineer | $130,220 |
| Occupation | Projected job growth (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Software Developer | 15.8% |
| Computer Network Architect | 11.9% |
| Computer Hardware Engineer | 7.3% |
| Electronics Engineer | 6.2% |
These four occupations represent genuinely different day-to-day work. Computer hardware engineer roles, which had a median annual wage of $161,740 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), design processors, boards, memory systems, and the peripherals attached to them, and are the most direct match to the degree title. Electronics engineer roles, at a median annual wage of $130,220 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), cover the broader analog and digital circuit work that computer engineering shares with electrical engineering. Software developer roles, at a median annual wage of $135,980 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), absorb a large share of computer engineering graduates, particularly into firmware, embedded software, and systems programming. Computer network architect roles, at a median annual wage of $134,050 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), draw on the networking and hardware-interface side of the curriculum and typically expect several years of prior experience. Individual outcomes vary by employer, geography, and experience.
A computer engineering degree trains you to design computing hardware and the software that runs directly on it. Coursework spans digital logic, circuits, computer architecture, embedded systems, hardware description languages, and hardware-software integration. It is typically awarded as a BS in Computer Engineering at the undergraduate level and an MS in Computer Engineering at the graduate level, and it is usually housed in an electrical and computer engineering department.
Computer science studies computation, algorithms, and software systems, and it generally treats the hardware as a given. Computer engineering designs that hardware and the layer of software immediately above it, which is why it requires physics, circuits, and signals coursework that a computer science degree does not. If you want to write applications, databases, or web services, computer science is the closer fit. If you want to design a processor, build a device that has no operating system, or work where a timing diagram matters as much as a data structure, computer engineering is.
Yes, more than in most computing fields. Computer engineering bachelor’s programs are commonly accredited by the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission, and some computing-oriented variants are accredited by the ABET Computing Accreditation Commission instead. Graduating from an ABET-accredited engineering program is the standard route to sitting for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam in most states, and some defense and government employers screen for it. Verify a specific program’s status directly in the ABET accredited program search, not from a school’s marketing page, and separately confirm institutional accreditation through the U.S. Department of Education database.
Sometimes, but the options are narrower than in computer science. The obstacle is laboratory work: circuits, digital logic, and embedded systems courses have traditionally required bench equipment. Schools address this with take-home hardware kits, FPGA development boards mailed to students, remotely operated instrument benches, and simulation software, and some programs require a short on-campus lab residency. Online master’s programs in computer engineering are more common than online bachelor’s programs, because graduate coursework leans more on analysis and design than on introductory bench labs.
Usually not. Most computer engineers work in industry under the exemption that covers engineers employed by manufacturers, so licensure is uncommon in this discipline compared with civil or mechanical engineering. It does exist: state engineering boards license computer, electrical, and electronics engineers, and the path runs through the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, qualifying experience, and the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. Licensure matters mainly if you plan to offer engineering services directly to the public, sign off on work for public projects, or work in a jurisdiction or sector that requires it. Requirements are set state by state, so check with your state board.
Computer engineering curricula move through four layers, and the first one is the reason this degree carries a heavier prerequisite load than computer science.
The first layer is mathematics and physics. Calculus through multivariable, differential equations, linear algebra, and calculus-based physics covering electricity and magnetism are standard. Discrete mathematics comes in from the computing side. These are not general education boxes to tick – circuit analysis is applied differential equations, and signal processing is applied linear algebra.
The second layer is hardware fundamentals. Circuit analysis covers resistive and reactive networks and the behavior of semiconductor devices. Digital logic design covers Boolean algebra, combinational and sequential circuits, finite state machines, and timing. Most programs pair this with a hardware description language, usually VHDL or Verilog, and target an FPGA so you are synthesizing real designs rather than drawing diagrams.
The third layer is systems. Computer architecture covers instruction set design, pipelining, memory hierarchy and caching, and the tradeoffs that make one processor faster than another at a given task. Embedded systems covers microcontrollers, interrupts, real-time constraints, and the firmware that runs without an operating system underneath it. Operating systems, computer networks, and signals and systems fill out the middle of the stack.
The fourth layer is design and specialization. Upper-division electives commonly include VLSI design, digital signal processing, robotics and control, computer security at the hardware level, wireless communications, and increasingly hardware for machine learning workloads. Nearly every ABET-accredited program ends with a senior design or capstone sequence in which a team takes a project from requirements through a working prototype – a requirement that comes from the accreditation criteria, not from local preference.
At the bachelor’s level, expect roughly 120 to 130 credits, with the engineering core leaving less elective room than most majors. At the master’s level, expect roughly 30 to 36 credits, with either a thesis track or a coursework and project track.
The work splits into several recognizable shapes. Hardware design positions develop processors, boards, memory subsystems, and application-specific integrated circuits, and this is where the degree title maps most directly onto the job. Embedded and firmware positions write the software that runs on constrained devices – vehicle control units, medical instruments, industrial controllers, consumer electronics – and are often titled software engineer even though the work is inseparable from the hardware. Verification and test positions build the simulation and validation infrastructure that proves a design works before it is manufactured, and they are a large and frequently overlooked share of semiconductor hiring. Systems and networking positions design the infrastructure that computing hardware runs on.
Titles are inconsistent across employers. A job posted as “embedded software engineer” at one company and “firmware engineer” at another can describe the same work, and both may be classified under software developer in federal wage data. Read the responsibilities rather than the title. For general labor-market context on these occupations, see the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Computer engineering or a related field? Choose computer engineering if you want to work at the boundary between hardware and software. Consider computer science if you want to build software systems and would rather not take circuits and physics, engineering if you are still deciding among engineering disciplines, technology if you want an applied computing degree with a lighter mathematics load, or cybersecurity if securing systems interests you more than designing them.
Looking for programs near you? Browse computer engineering programs by state.
Wondering where it leads? See what you can do with a computer engineering degree for the jobs and BLS salary data behind the degree. Compare programs by topic:
