Engineering is such a broad major and has so many opportunities that come with earning a degree in it. Students worldwide study engineering each year. It’s no secret that some majors are harder than others. We’ve done the research and concluded that chemical, aerospace, biomedical, electrical, and computer engineering are the top 5 hardest engineering majors you can enroll in. Don’t let that scare you though. These majors lead to jobs that pay well and are super important for our world to run the way they’re supposed to. Engineering programs vary in length and type. It’s important to know which engineering courses are better to take. Here is a breakdown of the hardest engineering majors to help you find the most compatible one.
1. Chemical Engineering
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Majoring in chemical engineering is not for the faint of heart. Chemistry is a tough subject to master especially when it’s mixed with engineering. Completing your major in chemical engineering is definitely possible and done by many students each year. You’ll learn how the chemical makeup of things works together to create almost everything. Food, medicine, wine, and your shampoo are all the work of chemical engineers.
There are many jobs available for chemical engineers after they graduate. Typical jobs for chemical engineers include food scientists, pharmaceutical manufacturers, chemists, and energy engineers. These jobs range in topics but all use the same degree. The median salary for a chemical engineer in 2021 was $105,550.
2. Aerospace Engineering
If you’re interested in airplanes or other machines that fly, aerospace engineering is the perfect major for you. You’ll learn how to build these machines and develop ways to make them better. Airplanes 25 years ago are much different than airplanes now. We can thank people who work in aerospace engineering for the advancements.
Aerospace engineer majors usually get jobs as aerospace technicians, inspector/compliance officers, flight test engineers, and aircraft designers. As you can see, aerospace engineers work in the aircraft industry. The median salary for aerospace engineers in 2021 was $122,270.
BROWSE ALL MAJORS >>3. Biomedical Engineering
Like chemical engineering, biomedical engineering relies a lot on science rather than physics. With a lot of courses in chemistry and biology, biomedical engineering ranks as one of the hardest engineering majors there is. Many engineering majors focus on physics while this one requires much more than that. It’s a great choice for students who like taking all types of science courses.
With a biomedical engineering degree, you can become a physician, researcher, biomaterials developer, or medical technology developer. The possibilities are endless. The median salary for biomedical engineers in 2021 was $97,410.
4. Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering is a common engineering major for college students, but it is still ranked as one of the hardest. There are so many small systems to learn within electrical engineering so it can be difficult to see what you’re physically doing. The computers and phones we use are built and designed by electrical engineers. These engineers are the ones who make sure your fingerprint is recognizable by your phone – how cool! Electrical engineering is a super complex major and requires an eye for detail. Graduates say that electrical engineering majors have the hardest engineering courses available because the abstract concepts and thinking can be difficult to keep up with.
Common jobs for electrical engineers include electrical designers, electrical technicians, controls engineers, and test engineers. The median salary for electrical engineers in 2021 was $101,780.
5. Computer Engineering
Technology is part of every aspect of our lives these days. Computer science is such a vast field. If you want to be part of that movement then computer engineering is the perfect major for you. You’ll take courses about all things computers and spend time learning software. You’ll even be able to build one of your own! Computer engineers use all types of sciences in their field. That is why it is ranked as one of the hardest engineering majors.
Computer engineering majors find jobs as computer system analysts, web developers, cyber security specialists, and software engineers. It’s very heavy in the tech world. The median salary for a computer engineer in 2021 was $128,70.
Majoring in engineering can be very rewarding. You can truly challenge yourself and break the glass ceiling in many fields. There is always something new to be discovered and majoring in engineering is the right place to start. Whether you get your bachelor’s degree or decide to receive higher education, engineering majors are highly desirable in the workforce. You can develop skills while in school and master them in your field of work.
Develop a strong foundation in physics courses if you decide to choose any of these engineering majors. If you study hard and put in the work for at least four years, you’ll be rewarded at the end of your degree. Do not be discouraged by the difficulty of your courses. There are engineers all over the world who persevere which is why you can too.
* Source for salaries: https://www.bls.gov/
