Top 10 technology colleges and universities

U.S. News and World Report released its annual National University Rankings , which are determined by a mix of surveys and other objective data. U.S. News states that 77.5 percent of the results are based on information including graduation rates and admissions data, while the remaining 22.5 percent is based on peer assessment surveys from the president, provost and dean of admissions at each school.

In those surveys, respondents are asked to rate programs they are familiar with in the school, including computer engineering. These 10 schools emerged as the top colleges and universities for computer engineering students.

[ Related story: Top 10 technology schools ]

Founded in 1861, MIT ranks number 1 for undergraduate computer engineering programs, and number 7 overall for best national universities. Located just outside of Boston, in Cambridge, MIT well-known for being home to some of the strongest programs in STEM.

In fact, the school even chose its mascot — the badger — as a nod to the animal’s “remarkable engineering and mechanical skills and its habits of industry.” MIT also ranked 2nd for the best colleges for veterans and, if you want a top-notch education, it ranked 5th for best value schools.

According to U.S. Money, the tuition for MIT is $48,452 for the year, with an additional $14,210 for room and board. It’s a small college, with a total enrollment of 11,331 students, which also means it has a narrow acceptance rate — in 2015, only eight percent of applicants were admitted into MIT.

[ Related story: Top 10 technology schools 2016 ]

Stanford comes in second on the list of best computer engineering programs and ranks number 5 on the list of best national universities. Located in Palo Alto, Calif., the university was founded in 1885. Today, it encompasses seven different undergraduate and graduate schools, with a total enrollment of 16,770 students. Programs span multiple disciplines, but Stanford is well-known for its dedication to STEM programs and research.

[ Related story: How a N.Y. college helps STEM students succeed ]

The University of California Berkley ranked 3rd on the list of colleges with the best computer engineering programs and number 20 on the list of best national universities. Often referred to as “Cal,” this university was founded in 1868 and is well-known for its rivalry with Stanford, which ranks one spot higher on this list. Berkley is not only known for its STEM education, it’s also widely recognized as a very liberal college, gaining attention over the years for protests and student activism.

According to U.S. News, the University of California — Berkley’s total enrollment is 38,204 students, and the university accepted 15 percent of applicants in 2015.Tuition is $13,509 per year for in-state students and $40,191 per year for out-of-state students; room and board comes in at $16,042.

Ranked number 4 for best computer engineering programs, the University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign, was founded in 1867 and now consists of 17 schools and colleges spanning multitude of disciplines. The university also comes in at 44 on the list of best national universities and 27 on the list of best colleges for veterans. Notable alumni include the co-founder of YouTube, Seven Chen, who clearly made the most of his computer science degree.

In-state tuition for the University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign is $15,698, while out of state tuition is $31,320; room and board adds an additional $11,308. Acceptance rates average around 66-percent, and the university boasts a student-faculty ratio of 18 to one.

[ Related story: Cybersecurity skills aren’t taught in college ]

Carnegie Mellon University ranks 5th on the list of best computer engineering programs and came in at 24 on the list of best national universities. Located in Pittsburgh, Penn., the university was founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish American industrialist and philanthropist, best known as one of the richest Americans to live and also for his part in expanding the steel industry.

One of the more expensive universities on this list, tuition for Carnegie Mellon University is $52,040 per year, while the cost for room and board is an additional $13,270. According to U.S. News, Carnegie Melon University accepted 24 percent of applicants in 2015.

Number 6 on the list, the Georgia Institute of Technology was founded in 1885 and ranks at number 34 on the list of best national universities. Often referred to as Georgia Tech, this college is best-known for its STEM programs, and U.S. News reports the university is “classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a university with very high research activity.”

In-state tuition for Georgia Tech is $12,212 per year, while out-of-state is $32,404; room and board is an additional $13,640. U.S. News also reports that Georgia Tech accepted 32 percent of applicants in 2015.

The University of Texas – Austin was founded in 1883 and comes in at 7 on the list of best computer engineering programs. The University of Texas — Austin is also one of the biggest schools in America with a total of 50,950 students currently enrolled. This large university is also home to “one of the biggest Greek systems in the country, two of the largest student publications and more than 900 clubs and organizations for students,” according to U.S. News.

In-state tuition is the lowest on this list at just $9,806 per year, but tuition for out-of-state students is $34,676 per year; room and board add an additional $11,456. With such a large student body, acceptance rates are higher than some of the smaller colleges on this list — U.S. News reports that in 2015, 39 percent of applicants were accepted.

Coming in at number 8 on the list of best computer engineering programs and 27 on the list of best national universities is the University of Michigan — Ann Arbor. Despite its city setting in Ann Arbor, Mich., the University of Michigan has a total enrollment of 43,651 and a campus size of 3,211 acres. This university is best known for its quintessential “college town,” according to U.S. News. The large student body is also heavily involved in Greek life, in addition to nearly 900 other student life activities on campus.

Tuition is $13,856 per year for in-state students and $43,476 for out-of-state students; room and board tacks on an additional $10,554. U.S. News reports that in 2015, 26 percent of applicants were accepted into the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.

Best known as CalTech, the California Institute of Technology was founded in 1891 in Pasadena, CA, it ranks at number 9 on the list of best computer engineering programs and 12 on the list of best national universities. The main focus of CalTech is science and engineering, with top rated graduate programs in engineering, chemistry, physics, mathematics, earth sciences, computer science and biology.

CalTech has an interesting room and board situation — with eight student houses that are described as “self-governing living groups,” which includes a longstanding tradition where student waiters serve family-style dinners each night. Tuition for CalTech is $47,544 per year with an additional $14,100 for room and board; enrollment is competitive with just a 9-percent acceptance rate in 2015.

Located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell University is a private institution that was founded in 1865 — today, it consists of 14 different schools that operate under the umbrella of the university. Cornell ranks 15 on the list of best national universities, 16 on the list of best value schools and 6 on the list for best colleges for veterans. And if you graduate from Cornell, you’ll be in good company –U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, author E.B. White and Bill Nye the “Science Guy,” all hold degrees from this university.

The College of Engineering is one of its best known colleges, but it also has one of the highest tuitions on this list at $50,954 per year, with an additional $13,950 for room and board; in 2015 the acceptance rate was 15-percent.