Computer Engineering vs. Electrical Engineering: Which is Right for You?

Since computer engineering is an offshoot of electrical engineering, the high school preparation track will be fairly similar. You’ll want to focus heavily on your math and science courses, as the material presented there will get you prepared for what you’ll face in college. Plus, any college that will be looking over your application will want to see that you’ve put in good effort in these subject areas. That may include taking AP courses or a gifted/honors course, depending on what your high school offers. 

Taking STEM-related electives can also help prepare you for either of these career choices, and it could be good to take ones that relate to both so that you can decide which one you like more. Examples of good electives to take for either major include:

While getting prepared in school is vital, it’s important to prepare outside of the classroom as well. Colleges like to see differentiators among their applicants, so if they see you’ve taken the initiative to do something outside of school, it could be the key to them accepting you. This could involve offering to tutor other students in math or science, mentoring younger kids who have an interest in technology, or actively working to get an internship with a tech company during the summer.

Colleges also like to see that their applicants are well-rounded, so try seeking out some volunteer or learning opportunities that are not just STEM-centered. Take an online creative writing course to develop your writing skills or volunteer to coach a Little League team, for example.

The first step toward a college experience, whether it’s for electrical engineering or computer engineering, is to find a school that has a strong engineering program. Some of the best colleges for engineering include:

If you’re unsure of what school to choose, you can use valuable tools from CollegeVine to help you. Check out our chancing engine to view your odds of acceptance and use our school search tool to find engineering schools near you. You can also filter for diversity, size, and more. 

After you’ve chosen your school and applied, you’ll want to sit down and read through the course requirements to ensure that you have all the items you’ll need to successfully complete the coursework. 

If you choose electrical engineering, you’ll be learning how to use your knowledge of math and science and apply those to designing and implementing electrical systems. While types of courses will vary by school, subjects you may cover during your program can include:

Once you learn the basics of electrical engineering, you’ll start taking that and applying it to the concepts you’ll learn in computer engineering. Computer engineers will design and develop computer hardware and software. Like electrical engineering, courses will be somewhat different at each college, but expect courses such as:

Once you’ve earned your undergraduate degree, you can either choose to go into the field immediately or you can go on to earn a graduate degree. Both computer engineers and electrical engineers should earn around a six-figure salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Both fields are growing, but at a slower rate than average. Computer engineering is expected to grow 2% by 2029, while electrical engineering should grow 3%.

The median salary for computer hardware engineers as of May 2020 was $119,560 per year. Some computer engineering majors also go on to become computer and information systems managers, who earned an average of $151,150 in 2020. If you want to build networks, then you could become a computer network architect, and those positions netted $116,780.

Electrical and electronics engineers earned around $103,390 in 2020. If you want to become a manager, then architectural and engineering managers had a median salary of $149,530.

Deciding your major can be a tough process, especially when you’re trying to pick between two that are quite similar. You’ll need to figure out if you want to know more about the overall scope of electrical engineering, or if you want to specialize and work solely in computer engineering. Each one requires a similar skill set, but both will be equally challenging and should give you opportunity for both professional and personal growth. Picking a major will likely dictate the course of your professional life, so make sure you choose the one about which you feel most passionate.