Computer Engineering

What this engineering major studies in college, how to prepare in high school, the licensing exams, and careers open with a bachelor’s degree. Every fact below names its source.

Last checked: November 4, 2026

A student wearing a headset stands beside a green circuit board with a microchip and an open laptop.

What it is

Computer engineering students take a balanced program of instruction covering the basic principles of the design and application of computer systems. [1]

Penn State's computer engineering program aims to give students the knowledge and experience needed to pursue a productive lifelong career in industry or to engage in further study at the graduate level. [1]

Typical college courses

ABET-accredited programs in this major must include probability and statistics and what is needed to analyze and design complex electrical and electronic devices, software and systems, and programs with "computer" in the title must include discrete mathematics. [2]

The B.S. requires Circuits and Devices, Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science and Introduction to Computer Architecture, among other courses. [1]

The rows below show one named program as an example: the Penn State bachelor of science in this major, 2026–2027 bulletin. Course descriptions are in our own words. Course names and numbers differ at every college; confirm each college’s own list.

Course	Status	What it covers (example: Penn State bulletin)	Comes after
Introduction to Programming Techniques or Programming and Computation I	One of the choices in this example programThe B.S. requires either Introduction to Programming Techniques or Programming and Computation I: Fundamentals, and a second programming course. [1]	Introduction to Programming Techniques (CMPSC 121) covers designing and implementing algorithms, structured programming, problem solving and a first high-level language, and Programming and Computation I (CMPSC 131) introduces solving computational problems by designing, building, testing and evaluating programs. [3]	CMPSC 121 comes after MATH 110 or is taken with MATH 140, and CMPSC 131 is taken with MATH 110 or MATH 140. [3]
Digital Design: Theory and Practice (or Introduction to Digital Systems)	One of the choices in this example programThe B.S. also requires either Digital Design: Theory and Practice or Introduction to Digital Systems with its lab. [1]	Digital Design: Theory and Practice (CMPEN 270) introduces digital systems and their design, including number systems, commonly used codes, Boolean algebra, and combinational and sequential devices and circuits. [4]	PHYS 212 is taken before or at the same time. [4]
Get ready with these topics: How computers work: hardware, software and abstraction · How data is represented · Digital information and waves · Series and parallel circuits
Circuits and Devices	Required in this example program[1]	Circuits and Devices (EE 210) is the gateway course for all later electrical engineering courses, covering sources, resistors and operational amplifiers, circuit analysis theorems for DC circuits, capacitors and inductors, and phasors and impedances. [5]	It comes after PHYS 212 with a C or better, with MATH 250 or MATH 251 before or at the same time. [5]
Get ready with these topics: Electric charge and fields · Electric current, voltage and resistance · Series and parallel circuits · Fields and stored energy · Systems of three equations · Complex numbers
Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science	Required in this example program[1]	Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science (CMPSC 360) covers sets, relations, logic, algorithms, graphs, finite state machines and regular expressions. [3]	CMPSC 122 or CMPSC 132 is taken before or at the same time. [3]
Get ready with these topics: Mathematical induction · Counting and combinations · Sequences and summation notation · Reasoning and conditional statements
Introduction to Computer Architecture	Required in this example program[1]	Introduction to Computer Architecture (CMPEN 431) covers memory hierarchy and design, CPU design, pipelining and multiprocessor architecture. [4]	It comes after CMPEN 331 or CMPEN 371. [4]
Get ready with these topics: How computers work: hardware, software and abstraction · How data is represented · Networks and the internet

Requirements differ by school and program and can change from year to year: confirm with each school, and for licensing, with the state licensing board.

Typical high school preparation

In addition to university requirements, its applicants need 4 units of high school math, including Algebra I, Algebra II, geometry, and pre-calculus/trigonometry or calculus, and 3 units of high school science that must include physics and chemistry, and they must also meet one of its ACT or GPA standards. [6]
If the minimum admission has not been met, a student may be admitted based on an individual review. [6]

This is one university’s admission list for its engineering college, not a rule for every college. Confirm each college’s own list.

Other engineering majors

Each card opens that major’s page. Compare the courses before you choose, and confirm each college’s own list.

Engineering: the first-year core
First-year courses, ABET accreditation and licensing, with sources.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering is the application of electronics, electrical science and technology, and computer systems to the needs of society. [7]
Industrial Engineering
Industrial engineering offers an education in manufacturing, operations research, ergonomics and service, grounded in mathematics and the physical and engineering sciences. [8]

Where this degree can lead with a bachelor’s

National figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay varies by state, setting and experience. This is not a promise of pay or a job.

Examples from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Other careers may need more study after the bachelor’s degree.

Computer hardware engineers

Computer hardware engineers research, design, develop and test computers and related equipment. [9]

Median annual pay, May 2025$161,740

The median annual wage for computer hardware engineers was $161,740 in May 2025. [9]

Projected job growth, 2025–359%

Employment of computer hardware engineers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. [9]

Typical entry-level educationBachelor's degree

Computer hardware engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in computer engineering or a related field. [9]

Software developers

Software developers design computer applications or programs. [10]

Median annual pay, May 2025$135,980

The median annual wage for software developers was $135,980 in May 2025. [10]

Projected job growth, 2025–3510%

Overall employment of software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. [10]

Typical entry-level educationBachelor's degree

Software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers typically need a bachelor's degree in computer and information technology or a related field, such as engineering or mathematics. [10]

Getting licensed: the FE and PE exams

Overview only. For dates, registration, rules and scoring, see each test maker's own site.

The FE exam

The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is generally the first step in the process of becoming a licensed professional engineer (PE). [11]

The FE exam is designed for recent graduates and students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited program. [11]

The PE exam

The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam tests for a minimum level of competency in a particular engineering discipline and is designed for engineers who have gained a minimum of four years of post-college work experience. [12]

NCEES offers more than 20 different PE exams, including Electrical and Computer: Computer Engineering. [12]

The path to a PE license

To use the PE seal, engineers must earn a four-year degree in engineering from an accredited engineering program, pass the FE exam, complete four years of progressive engineering experience under a PE, and pass the PE exam. [13]

Exam names are trademarks of their owners. NCEES and NSPE are not affiliated with and do not endorse UpOnly Learning.

Questions people search

Chosen from our search-question research. Every answer is cited.

What can you do with a computer engineering degree?

Computer hardware engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in computer engineering or a related field. [9]

Software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers typically need a bachelor's degree in computer and information technology or a related field, such as engineering or mathematics. [10]