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Average Tuition Costs for Engineering Graduate School
USINFO | 2013-11-14 09:47
What is the Average Tuition Cost forEngineering Graduate School?
Tuition costs for a graduate degree program in engineering are determined by the type of engineering program, as well as the type of the academic institution. Public colleges, such as state universities, often have lower tuition rates than private universities. Many graduate schools also charge fees, such as application, registration and book fees, which increase the total cost of attendance. Determining average tuition costs is difficult, since rates vary greatly among institutions, and some schools even fluctuate rates per semester.
Tuition and Fee Waivers
Many schools offer graduate students a waiver on fees and may offer partial or full tuition waivers for certain students or programs. Eligibility requirements vary by school. Students should find out if they qualify for any type of waiver with the school's registrar. A few examples of waivers include:
| University | Waiver | Eligibility |
| Stanford University | Application fee | McNair scholars |
| Florida State University | Tuition | State or school employees, graduate assistants |
| Brown University | Application fee | Financial need |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Application fee | Financial need |
| University of Southern Florida | Tuition | Graduate fellows and assistants |
| University of California - Berkeley | Tuition | Nonresident doctoral candidates |
Graduate Schools' Engineering Tuition Rates
U.S. News and World Report ranks public and private engineering graduate schools annually based on the quality of the program, teachers and student outcomes. The following table shows the 2009-2011 annual in-state, full-time tuition rates, including fees, for the top five graduate schools for engineering programs (www.usnews.com).
| University | Public or Private | Annual tuition |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Private | $38,940 |
| Stanford University | Private | $41,420 |
| University of California - Berkeley | Public | $16,299 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | Public | $22,776 |
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Public | $13,636 |
Tuition Assistance - Grants and Fellowships
Several organizations offer grants and other types of free student aid to engineering graduate students. Some provide annual allowances or stipends, while others provide full tuition assistance. Often, students must attend schools affiliated with the granting organization, though there are some that allow a student to choose the institution they wish to attend. Some examples include:
The National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship - Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, up to three years of full tuition, fees, insurance and annual stipend are covered for several engineering disciplines at any school in the country (ndseg.asee.org).
Environmental Engineers of the Future - Offering $10,000 in tuition assistance, students receiving the award must commit to two years of employment with the organization after graduation (www.engineeringmastersfunding.org).
National Science Foundation - Graduate students may choose among a variety of grant and fellowship opportunities, including tuition assistance and cultural research project funding (www.nsf.gov).
Society of Women Engineers - Women interested in engineering and computer science may qualify for up to $10,000 in scholarships and fellowships (societyofwomenengineers.swe.org).
Engineering Graduate Job and Salary OutlookThe 2009 salary report released by Payscale.com indicated that seven of the ten highest paid college majors were in engineering. While the report based the findings on bachelor's degree holders, further studies on the website found students with an equivalent master's degree earn approximately 17% more than undergraduates, and Ph.D.s made up to 26% higher wages.
| Rank | Engineering job | Bachelor's degree | Master's degree | Doctorate degree |
| 1 | Aerospace | $55,477- $72,327 | $68,207- $99,296 | $74,152- $101,725 |
| 2 | Chemical | $59,625- $81,189 | $62,841- $99,083 | $68,899- $103,693 |
| 3 | Computer | $54,367- $88,967 | $66,033- $98,250 | No data |
| 4 | Electrical | $55,254- $102,106 | $60,595- $111,589 | $76,726- $125,677 |
| 7 | Mechanical | $53,318- $80,064 | $80,131- $96,950 | $80,675- $100,704 |
| 9 | Industrial | $51,715- $9,216 | $63,871- $85,489 | No data |
| 10 | Environmental | $51,180- $67,604 | $56,782- $81,389 | No data |
In addition to the highest paid employees, CNN's Money Magazine reported in October 2009 that engineers in the telecommunications and computer fields secured the first two positions for careers that anticipate the most growth. Companies may also require the specialized training of environmental engineers as they seek to restructure in more environmentally responsible ways.
