Engineering Physics Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Engineering Physics maps to BLS occupations averaging about $114,867, with roughly 69,280 workers nationwide in those roles. About 1,049 degrees completed in recent IPEDS counts; median program completion runs near 57%.
Key Statistics
Engineering Physics: what the data shows
Common questions about engineering physics degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a engineering physics degree?
A Engineering Physics program is classified under NCES CIP 00.1412 in the 00.0014 field family (00.14).
IPEDS counted 1,049 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of engineering physics degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 00.14 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (CIP 00.1402)
- Agricultural Engineering (CIP 00.1403)
- Architectural Engineering (CIP 00.1404)
- Biochemical Engineering (CIP 00.1443)
- Biological/Biosystems Engineering (CIP 00.1445)
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering (CIP 00.1405)
- Ceramic Sciences and Engineering (CIP 00.1406)
- Computer Engineering (CIP 00.1409)
- Construction Engineering (CIP 00.1433)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (CIP 00.1447)
- Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (CIP 00.1410)
- Electromechanical Engineering (CIP 00.1441)
- Energy Systems Engineering (CIP 00.1448)
- Engineering Chemistry (CIP 00.1444)
- Engineering Mechanics (CIP 00.1411)
- Engineering Science (CIP 00.1413)
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering (CIP 00.1414)
- Forest Engineering (CIP 00.1434)
- Geological/Geophysical Engineering (CIP 00.1439)
- Industrial Engineering (CIP 00.1435)
- Manufacturing Engineering (CIP 00.1436)
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering (CIP 00.1442)
- Metallurgical Engineering (CIP 00.1420)
- Mining and Mineral Engineering (CIP 00.1421)
- Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (CIP 00.1422)
- Nuclear Engineering (CIP 00.1423)
- Ocean Engineering (CIP 00.1424)
- Operations Research (CIP 00.1437)
- Paper Science and Engineering (CIP 00.1440)
- Petroleum Engineering (CIP 00.1425)
- Polymer/Plastics Engineering (CIP 00.1432)
- Surveying Engineering (CIP 00.1438)
- Systems Engineering (CIP 00.1427)
- Textile Sciences and Engineering (CIP 00.1428)
How long does it take to get a engineering physics degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.1412 in our file:
- 21 Master's (100.0% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in engineering physics?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Troubleshooting, Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Complex Problem Solving, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a engineering physics degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Engineering Physics to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 43,640 | $39,270 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | 53,520 | $60,800 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 293,930 | $100,070 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a engineering physics degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $11,452 and median net price is $21,404.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Engineering Physics and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$11,452 Median In-State Public
$46,296 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Engineering Physics majors are, on average, $11,452 for in-state public colleges, and $46,296 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Engineering Physics programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
1,049 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Engineering Physics from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Engineering Physics.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 2 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
| 3 | University of Arizona | AZ | 40,769 |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | 35,665 |
| 5 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | 34,623 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Engineering Physics programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Southmost College | TX | $3,148 |
| 2 | Lansing Community College | MI | $4,010 |
| 3 | Florida Polytechnic University | FL | $4,940 |
| 4 | CUNY New York City College of Technology | NY | $7,332 |
| 5 | Northeastern State University | OK | $7,513 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Engineering Physics programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lansing Community College | MI | $4,003 |
| 2 | CUNY New York City College of Technology | NY | $4,783 |
| 3 | Texas Southmost College | TX | $5,458 |
| 4 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | TX | $6,500 |
| 5 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | NM | $6,747 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Engineering Physics programs.
Graduation Rates
56.95% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
57.64% Average Graduation Rate
144 Institutions Reporting
43.28% - 72.24% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Engineering Physics programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 00.14 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering CIP 00.1402
- Agricultural Engineering CIP 00.1403
- Architectural Engineering CIP 00.1404
- Biochemical Engineering CIP 00.1443
- Biological/Biosystems Engineering CIP 00.1445
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering CIP 00.1405
- Ceramic Sciences and Engineering CIP 00.1406
- Computer Engineering CIP 00.1409
- Construction Engineering CIP 00.1433
- Electrical and Computer Engineering CIP 00.1447
- Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering CIP 00.1410
- Electromechanical Engineering CIP 00.1441
- Energy Systems Engineering CIP 00.1448
- Engineering Chemistry CIP 00.1444
- Engineering Mechanics CIP 00.1411
- Engineering Science CIP 00.1413
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering CIP 00.1414
- Forest Engineering CIP 00.1434
- Geological/Geophysical Engineering CIP 00.1439
- Industrial Engineering CIP 00.1435
- Manufacturing Engineering CIP 00.1436
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering CIP 00.1442
- Metallurgical Engineering CIP 00.1420
- Mining and Mineral Engineering CIP 00.1421
- Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering CIP 00.1422
- Nuclear Engineering CIP 00.1423
- Ocean Engineering CIP 00.1424
- Operations Research CIP 00.1437
- Paper Science and Engineering CIP 00.1440
- Petroleum Engineering CIP 00.1425
- Polymer/Plastics Engineering CIP 00.1432
- Surveying Engineering CIP 00.1438
- Systems Engineering CIP 00.1427
- Textile Sciences and Engineering CIP 00.1428
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.1412 in the survey year used in our extract (21 total across levels below).
- 21 Master's (100.0% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $114,867. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Engineering Physics graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $88,062 | 136,390 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $188,333 | 75,710 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $53,312 | 43,640 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | $74,538 | 53,520 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | $58,116 | 36,880 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $131,986 | 293,930 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$136,006 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Engineering Physics majors is $136,006.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Engineering Physics majors.
Occupations by Share
69,280 2023 Workforce
The number of Engineering Physics graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Engineering Physics by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Engineering Physics in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Engineering Physics.
Age distribution for Engineering Physics degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Engineering Physics degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Engineering Physics degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Engineering Physics are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Engineering Physics.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Engineering Physics field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Engineering Physics majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Engineering Physics majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Engineering Physics majors.
About
Engineering Physics
In 2023, 1,049 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Engineering Physics.
CIP Code
00.1412 - Engineering Physics
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $114,867. The largest mapped role by headcount is Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians (136,390 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $11,452 in-state at public colleges and $46,296 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.