The 16 best computer-science and engineering schools in the northeast

15. Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

BU engineering students have excellent career outlooks: From the class of 2014, 49% had accepted job offers while another 14% went on to graduate school, 10% went on to transitional engineering jobs, and 4% went into military service. The average starting salary for BU grads is higher than the national average — $66,500, compared to $59,000.

14. Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, New York

Last year, RIT engineering students generated more than $30 million in earnings through employment placements. During their degrees, students participate in at least one year of full-time, paid experiential cooperative education experience with more than 500 companies, including Apple, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Welch Allyn.

13. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, Massachusetts

Engineering is so steeped in WPI's campus culture that even the team name is the Engineers. WPI is one of the first engineering and technology universities in the country, where engineering — especially in the fields of mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, and chemical engineering — is the most popular major.

12. Penn State

State College, Pennsylvania

Penn State is ranked seventh in the nation for industrial engineering, 10th for materials engineering, and 18th overall by US News. Every student completes at least one internship, and 45.2% of those who do receive an offer of full-time employment from their internship placements.

11. New York University

Brooklyn, New York

Engineering students at NYU have big prospects in store: More than 89% of undergraduate students receive job offers within six months of graduating, and earn a mid-career salary of $117,000. NYU's Polytechnic School of Engineering was ranked No. 10 on Forbes' list of colleges that will make you rich; Forbes also ranked it No. 7 on its list of the best colleges for women in STEM.

10. Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

Twelve percent of graduates from the Northeastern class of 2013 majored in an engineering field. Students get a well-rounded, experiential education compiled of both classroom and hands-on learning that takes them out into the world to apply what they learn in class to real-life problems.

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

At U Penn, every student is encouraged to participate in faculty-led research. Students can search for mentors in the faculty expertise directory or apply for one of the school's numerous scholarship programs. Penn also has several longstanding partnerships with big-name companies — including Lockheed Martin and Honeywell International — that result in research, internship, and employment opportunities for students.

8. Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Yale's School of Engineering and Applied Science offers degrees across six disciplines of engineering: biomedical, chemical, environmental, electrical, mechanical, and materials science. Students can join a number of national engineering organizations, including the Society of Women Engineers and the Tau Beta Pi honor society.

7. Columbia University

New York, New York

At Columbia, students take advantage of the school's New York City location by working through practical projects that benefit the city, such as developing wheelchair-accessible playgrounds or mentoring local high-school students. Undergrads can also gain experience on-campus by assisting professors with research.

6. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, New York

Not only are RPI graduates prepared to handle professional engineering positions, they're ready to prove it. Last year, 58% of students graduated with a full-time job offer, and another 18% had plans to attend graduate school. Top employers for the class of 2014 include Schlumberger, Deloitte, Boeing, and General Electric.

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Undergraduate students from Harvard's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have gone on to work at elite companies including Pixar, Google, and Citigroup. Harvard's host of internship partners also includes exclusive placements at companies like Facebook, Intel, and NASA.

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Among the class of 2013, 92% of undergraduate engineering students were either on their way to graduate school or employed full-time by graduation day, with several headed to top companies including Proctor & Gamble, Accenture, and Google. The average starting salary for the class was $72,287, though some students reported earning as much as $120,000.

3. Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey

At Princeton, the engineering curriculum for all majors focuses on equipping students to solve real-world problems regarding energy and the environment, health, security, and leadership. Engineering students from the class of 2014 reported an average starting salary of $68,923 annually.

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Graduates can expect competitive compensation with a degree from Carnegie Mellon. For the class of 2013, the median starting salaries ranged from $60,000 for civil and environmental engineers to $90,000 for electric and computer engineers. Partnerships with major companies like IBM, Google, and General Motors also allow students to gain hands-on experience in their fields.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology