Ever wondered how that cool bridge or the awesome gadget you use every day got built? That's the magic of engineering! It is all about using your knowledge of science and math to design, create, and build things. This bugs us with questions like, what are the most difficult courses in engineering, and why should one choose the hardest engineering degrees? We will be answering all these questions along with 10 hardest engineering degrees in the world.
Why Choose the Toughest Engineering Subject in the World?
Engineering is known for its super tough classes that can be seriously challenging. But did you know that some of the hardest engineering majors are the most demanding engineering fields in the future 2050? As we overview some of the most difficult engineering courses in the world in this blog, it’s important to know the key reasons students may choose to take these world's hardest engineering majors:
1. Readiness to Lead in Innovative Areas
The hardest engineering majors often provide critical foundations for the most complex and rapidly advancing subfields of the discipline. This program will give you the knowledge you need to understand the latest research and developments in engineering. By the time you graduate, you'll be prepared to jump right into exciting, innovative engineering jobs!
2. Demonstrating Academic Courage
This aspect refers to tackling the world's hardest engineering degree despite the risk of failure and the immense intellectual effort required. Getting good grades in really tough engineering classes shows that you're a hard worker, super smart, and can handle a variety of engineering challenges. Colleges love to see this on your transcript!
3. Personal Challenge and Achievement
For some engineering students, there is also an element of personal challenge and a sense of achievement associated with successfully conquering one of the hardest engineering subjects. You can push yourself to new levels of critical thinking and problem-solving skills while accomplishing the most difficult engineering branch.
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Top 10 Hardest Engineering Degrees
Determining the hardest engineering degrees is certainly subjective and depends on individual strengths and interests. That said, there are select classes across different types of engineering courses that have rightfully earned reputations for pushing students to their academic and time management limits. Below are the top 10 hardest engineering degrees students will encounter:
Aerospace Engineering
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Hypersonic Flights(faster-than-sound passenger jets) Reusable Launch Vehicles (to reduce the cost of space travel) Space Exploration |
| Best Countries to Pursue | US, UK, France, and Canada |
| Best Universities for Nuclear Engineering | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Purdue University University of Michigan Imperial College London Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation Civile McGill University University of Toronto |
| Average Starting Salary | $65,000 to $75,000 per year |
| Popular Designations | Reactor Engineer Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineer Health Physicist Radiation Protection Engineer Medical Physicist Nuclear Materials Engineer |
Ever look up and see airplanes streaking across the sky? Do you ever wonder how those giant machines actually fly? Maybe you've even admired the cool design of a plane and thought, "Wow, how did someone build that?"
If you answered “yes” to all these questions, then the hardest engineering branch in the world - aerospace engineering - might be your calling. It is the toughest branch in engineering in the world due to its complex blend of aerodynamics, materials science, and advanced mathematics.
2. Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Nanotechnology Biotechnology Environmental Engineering |
| Best Countries to Pursue | US, Europe and Asia |
| Best Universities for Chemical Engineering | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), California Institute of Technology (Caltech) ETH Zurich Technical University of Munich National University of Singapore University of Tokyo Nanyang Technological University Delft University of Technology University of Oxford |
| Average Starting Salary | $70,000 per year |
| Popular Designations | Process Engineer Research & Development Engineer Plant Engineer Environmental Engineer Product Development Engineer |
Chemical engineers are essentially tasked with creating systems that are able to produce refined products from raw materials. As one of the hardest engineering degrees, chemical engineering usually deals with the construction of tools and design of industry plants and focuses on formulating ways to improve on them. Chemical engineers look after:
- Essential materials: Plastics, polymers, fibres
- Life-saving drugs: Pharmaceuticals, antibiotics
- Everyday products: Food processing, personal care items
- Clean energy solutions: Biofuels and fuel cells
It is often considered the toughest engineering course because of the advanced chemistry, especially organic and physical chemistry.
3. Computer Engineering
Computer Engineering
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Research, design, develop, and test computer systems. Hardware or software engineering. Creating and improving devices and programs, these professionals help keep the world working safer, smarter, and faster. |
| Best Countries to Pursue | Canada, UK, Germany, Argentina, France |
| Best Universities for Computer Engineering | University of California - Berkeley, United States. Stanford University, United States. Carnegie Mellon University, United States. Tsinghua University, China. Georgia Institute of Technology, United States. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, United States |
| Average Starting Salary | $69,365 to $$127,038 per year |
| Popular Designations | Software Engineer Hardware Engineer Network Engineer Security Administrator Software Test Engineer Technician |
As the toughest course in engineering, computer engineering synthesises various subjects like computer science and electronic engineering to construct computer-related hardware and software.
Computer engineers have your back for everything related to computer-related hardware and software compatibility. If you are keen on this subject, you should brace yourself for mastering both Electrical Engineering (hardware and circuits) and Computer Science (software and programming), bridging the gap between the two fields.
In fact, even highly successful figures like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, one of the alumni of Harvard University who studied computer science, have mentioned pulling all-nighters to pass the course.
4. Architectural Engineering
Architectural Engineering
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Practical and theoretical knowledge to the engineering design of buildings and building systems. Structural, mechanical, electrical, lighting, acoustical, and construction engineering. Creating and improving buildings and building systems, these professionals help create sustainable, resilient, economically viable structures that ensure the safety, health, comfort, and productivity of occupants. |
| Best Countries to Pursue | Hong Kong, US, Netherlands, China, UK |
| Best Universities forArchitectural Engineering | Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong. University of California - Berkeley, United States. Delft University of Technology, Netherlands. Tsinghua University, China. Harbin Institute of Technology, China University College London, United Kingdom Tongji University, China |
| Average Starting Salary | $100,000 per year |
| Popular Designations | Intern Architect. Architectural Designer Certified Construction Specifier (CCS) Certified Construction Contract Administrator (CCCA) Construction Documents Technologist (CDT) |
Architectural Engineering is regarded as one of the toughest fields due to its demand for proficiency across various skills, including math, science, art, and history. The graduates of architectural engineers focus on the structural viability of a building, its electrical, lighting and heating systems, as well as its environmental and security systems.
It may be the hardest engineering degree, but the competitive salary will let you reap the benefits of your effort. In today’s world, where sustainability has grown from an optional benefit to a necessity, architectural engineering, the most difficult field in engineering, provides the avenue to design structures that promote sustainability.
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5. Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Artificial Organs and Tissue Engineering Bioprinting Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) Personalised medicine |
| Best Countries to Pursue | US, UK, Canada, Singapore, and Australia |
| Best Universities forBiomedical Engineering | Harvard University Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Michigan - Ann Arbor National University of Singapore University of Toronto Imperial College London University of Melbourne University of Sydney |
| Average Starting Salary | $75,000 per year |
| Popular Designations | Biomaterials Engineer Medical Device Engineer Clinical Engineer Tissue Engineer Biomechanics Engineer Bioinformatics Engineer |
For those who have had the intuition or interest to develop better equipment to facilitate medical processes, biomedical engineering might be your choice. Biomedical engineers are basically behind constructing advanced equipment and systems that help with medical practices, such as artificial internal organs or devices that can diagnose a person’s ailment.
Biomedical Engineering is often regarded as the hardest engineering majors due to its broad, interdisciplinary nature, combining diverse fields and extensive memorization of biological concepts.
6. Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Works in automotive, aerospace, energy, manufacturing, and robotics. Offers a lucrative, fast-growing field for people who enjoy solving complex technical problems by devising creative new solutions |
| Best Countries to Pursue | Germany, US, Spain, Malta |
| Best Universities for Mechanical Engineering | Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States Stanford University, United States. California Institute of Technology, United States. University of California, Berkeley, United States. Georgia Institute of Technology, United States. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Grainger), United States University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, United States. |
| Average Starting Salary | $66,424 per year |
| Popular Designations | Professional Engineer (PE) License Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE) Project Management Professional (PMP) Engineer in Training Certification (EIT) Certified Energy Manager (CEM) |
With so many people wanting to do mechanical engineering, how is this the toughest course in engineering? Well, mechanical engineering is a field that analyses objects and systems in motion. As such, this toughest engineering course touches everything that involves mechanical systems.
From mechanical components in a machine to the human body, mechanical engineers have expertise in them all. One can refer to them as a jack of all trades because this toughest branch of engineering has a broad scope, demanding students to master fundamental principles of physics and apply them to designing and improving a wide range of machines, from engines to hydraulic systems.
7. Nuclear Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Medical Isotope Production, Small Modular Reactors (SMR) Advanced Reactor Designs |
| Best Countries to Pursue | US, UK, France, Canada, Germany, China and Japan |
| Best Universities for Nuclear Engineering | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Tsinghua University, University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, École Polytechnique, McGill University, University of Toronto, University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. |
| Average Starting Salary | $70,000 to $90,000 per year |
| Popular Designations | Reactor Engineer Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineer Health Physicist Radiation Protection Engineer Medical Physicist Nuclear Materials Engineer |
It can be a bane or a boon, but one thing is clear: nuclear energy and its implications are here to stay. While the nuclear arms race is a commonly known phenomenon, nuclear energy isn’t just used for destruction. Being one of the hardest engineering degrees, it encompasses a lot of systems that harness the awe-inspiring powers of subatomic reactions to fuel activities, such as providing the heat required to refine metals, and producing hydrogen as a clean energy fuel.
But this is not all; the toughest course in engineering also equips students with expertise in the following areas:
- Medical Isotope Production
- Radiation Detection
- Nuclear Waste Management
- Navy Nuclear Propulsion
Nuclear engineering is the toughest course due to its demand for deep knowledge in physics, chemistry, and advanced mathematics, alongside managing radioactive materials and intricate systems.
8. Electrical Engineering
Electricity Engineering
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Manipulation and control of electrical energy for various purposes, ranging from power generation and distribution to communication systems, electronics, and information processing. Lucrative, fast-growing field for people who enjoy solving complex technical problems by devising creative new solutions. |
| Best Countries to Pursue | Germany, US, China, Japan, Finland |
| Best Universities for Electricity Engineering | Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States Stanford University, United States University of California, Berkeley, United States3 ETH Zurich, Switzerland Nanyang Technological University, Singapore |
| Average Starting Salary | $59,800 per year |
| Popular Designations | Professional Engineer (PE) License Certified Energy Manager (CEM) Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians (NICET Electrical Power Testing) |
Electrical engineering, one of the hardest engineering degrees, is the study of construction and design of systems and devices that use electricity as their main source of power. As it is the hardest engineering degree, it has been a viable specialisation in the field ever since the inception of electricity!
This field demands a deep understanding of fundamentals and the ability to troubleshoot complex issues in real-time. The mathematical challenges, including advanced trigonometry and nonlinear calculus, further add to its difficulty.
9. Civil Engineering (Structural)
Civil Engineering (Structural) Engineering
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Sustainable building designs, Building Information Modeling (BIM) and smart materials and structures. |
| Best Countries to Pursue | US, UK, Canada, Singapore, Netherlands and Australia |
| Best Universities for Civil Engineering (Structural) | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California, Berkeley (UCB) Delft University of Technology National University of Singapore ETH Zurich Tsinghua University Imperial College London |
| Average Starting Salary | $65,000 per year |
| Popular Designations | Structural Engineer Seismic Design Engineer Bridge Engineer Building Engineer Construction Engineer |
Civil engineering (structural) is a specialised branch of civil engineering focused on the design, analysis, and construction of the framework or "bones" of structures. Structural engineering is one of the hardest engineering degrees, ensuring that buildings, bridges, dams, and other structures can safely endure the forces they encounter.
This most difficult engineering branch demands diverse areas like land surveying, foundation design, construction management, and traffic flow, requiring students to master numerous skills and specialisations.
10. Advanced Control Systems Engineering
Advanced Control Systems Engineering
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | Manage, design, and optimize control systems Safety, efficiency, and quality of manufacturing processes Lucrative, fast-growing field for people who enjoy solving complex technical problems by devising creative new solutions |
| Best Countries to Pursue | China, Singapore, US, Netherlands, Germany |
| Best Universities for Advanced Control Systems | Harbin Institute of Technology, China Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States University of California - Berkeley, United States Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Tsinghua University, China Delft University of Technology, Netherlands Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland |
| Average Starting Salary | $104,854 per year |
| Popular Designations | Certified Automation Professional (CAP) Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) Certified Chemical Engineer (CCE) Mechatronics Certification Test - Programmable Logic Controllers Control Systems Engineer (CSE) |
Advanced Control Systems Engineering is a field that involves designing, analysing, and optimising control systems to achieve specific objectives under constraints. It plays a crucial role in managing complex industrial processes by monitoring and adjusting numerous variables to improve overall performance. This field is considered the toughest engineering course due to the complexity of the systems involved and the need for precise control.
The optimisation algorithms, which are integral to these systems, need to solve rather complicated problems to meet the performance specifications systematically. Furthermore, the toughest engineering course in the world demands designing highly reliable, lightweight systems capable of functioning in extreme environments with minimal energy input, often without the possibility of repairs.
Engineering Difficulty Ranking
This ranking of engineering majors highlights those with the highest percentage of difficult professors. Here is a breakdown of the hardest engineering degrees along with their ranks, difficulty level and growth rate.
Rankings for Engineering Major
| Rank | Difficulty (in %) | Engineering Major | Growth Rate (in %) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 80 | Chemical | 8 |
| 2 | 72 | Electrical | 2 |
| 3 | 71 | Aerospace | 3 |
| 4 | 68 | Mechanical | 9 |
| 5 | 66 | Nuclear | 1 |
| 6 | 63 | Material | 5 |
| 7 | 62 | General | 8 |
| 8 | 62 | Biomedical | 5 |
| 9 | 62 | Environmental | 6 |
| 10 | 60 | Computer | 5 |
| 11 | 59 | Civil | 5 |
| 12 | 56 | Biological | 6 |
| 13 | 52 | Industrial & Manufacturing | 12 |
| 14 | 45 | Engineering Technology | 11 |
We hope answering these questions can help you gain clarity and confidence in your decision to find your way around the hardest engineering subject. Before you apply to the engineering toughest branch, always go through the eligibility criteria and admission process & requirements, and take your SAT test preparation seriously. So, study hard and triumph over the hardest engineering degrees!
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10 Hardest Engineering Degrees In the World In 2024
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