Best Industrial Engineering Schools in the USA

A career as an industrial engineer offers a promising path for potential high earnings and a stable job. Industrial engineers are in demand with a faster than average growth rate of 10 percent between 2016 and 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

You may also enjoy a lucrative career path as the annual industrial engineer salary in May 2018 averaged $87,040. But if you want to be an industrial engineer, it's important to know which school to attend to pursue your career path.

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Some of the best engineering schools in the United States offer a degree in industrial engineering. Yet, some schools outshine others and offer some of the best industrial engineering degree programs. 

What Should You Look for in an Industrial Engineering Degree Programs?

When you're considering which school to attend to pursue your industrial engineering degree, it's vital to ensure the school has the degree program you seek. You also want to make sure the school can support your academic, financial and career goals.

For instance, if your goal is to attend an affordable school that provides tutoring and research opportunities, then look for a school that offers a writing support center, provides scholarship opportunities and integrates research opportunities within the degree program.

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Additionally, it's important to consider accreditation when determining if the school is the right fit for your career path. Aside from regionally-accredited schools, consider schools accredited by the ABET.

The ABET accredits some of the best industrial engineering schools. With an ABET accreditation, you can expect the school offering the program to prepare you as a professional for organizations across the world.

In fact, many organizations look for graduates from ABET-accredited schools. So, attending a school with this accreditation may provide you with a competitive advantage over other job applicants.

What are the Best Industrial Engineering Schools for Undergraduates?

While there are several schools that can help you prepare for a career as an industrial engineer, some stand out among the rest. Here are some of the top schools that offer industrial engineering degree programs for undergraduates, according to U.S. News & World Report:

Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)

Georgia Tech is a top school for future industrial engineers for good reasons. This school makes the mark by offering courses taught by a world-class faculty and has partnerships with businesses, government agencies and other important organizations to give its students' career, learning and networking opportunities.

Its bachelor of science in industrial engineering program is also ABET-accredited, and you can continue your studies up to the doctorate level.

Stanford University

If you're looking for smaller classes, then Stanford University may be an ideal choice. With 68 percent of its classes having 20 or fewer students, Stanford University makes it easier for you to get more attention in your studies. The school also offers a low student-faculty ratio of four students per faculty member.

The curriculum at Stanford University provides with a solid foundation in the skills you'll need as an industrial engineer. You can also build on this learning and continue your education at the graduate level.

University of California---Berkeley

At the University of California at Berkeley, you can expect a world-class undergraduate education that prepares you to work in the field as an industrial engineer with topics that cover risk management, supply chains, and design analysis.

The school also has a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship so you can gain real-world experience. You also can take advantage of research opportunities in a variety of areas, including energy systems, robotics and automation, and supply chain and logistics.

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech's Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) offers several opportunities for students to enhance their learning as future industrial engineers.

As a student, you can expect a rich curriculum covering various topics in industrial engineering, including operations research and human factors engineering.

Even some of the oldest engineering schools in the world offer a wide selection of courses, certificates and learning opportunities to help you build your schools as an industrial engineer.

The school also offers students the opportunity to conduct research in the field thanks to its various research facilities, including its Industrial Automation Lab and ISE Projects Lab. Students also can further their education at the graduate-degree level.

What are the Best Industrial Engineering Programs for Graduates?

If you want to increase your earning potential and career advancement as an industrial engineer, then a school that offers the opportunity to further your learning beyond a bachelor's degree program is ideal to seek.

Some of the best industrial engineering degree programs provide the opportunity to continue your education once you finish your bachelor's degree.

Here are some of the best post-graduate industrial engineering programs across the United States:

• Cornell University (New York)
• North Carolina State University--Raleigh (North Carolina)
• Northwestern University (Illinois)
• Pennsylvania State University---University Park (Pennsylvania)
• Texas A&M University--College Station (Texas)
• University of Michigan--Ann Arbor
• University of Wisconsin--Madison (Wisconsin)

Final Thoughts

Pursuing a career as an industrial engineer starts by finding the right school to begin your degree program.

But if you're looking for some of the best industrial engineering degree programs, it's important to find the ones that offer the support you need. It's also important that you don't stop educating yourself after you complete a bachelors degree.

Employers nowadays look for hiring those who have additional knowledge or expertise. So you must always look for ways to build several differentiating factors so that you stand out among all other job seekers.

Consider learning about the history of events particular to your industry which has led to positive change in the way we live. For example, consider studying about The Industrial Revolution. 

By taking a look at what each school has to offer, you can find the right program that best suits your needs.

This sets you up right for graduating with a bachelors degree in Industrial Engineering and beginning your professional career. Good luck.