Artificial intelligence (AI) has gained significant traction in the business world, transforming industries and driving demand for skilled professionals. As a result, colleges have begun offering AI degrees and certification programs.
What Does AI Do?
AI technology enables computers and various machines to simulate human intelligence. Its applications are diverse and expanding rapidly. Currently, AI is used to:
- Write and Debug Code
- Translate Text
- Write Articles
- Explain Complex Topics
- Answer Questions
- Brainstorm Ideas
- Produce Reading Passages
- Write Essays and Resumes
- Edit and Proofread
- Generate Art
But AI’s potential extends beyond these functions. It is increasingly utilized in fields like customer service, data management, cybersecurity, robotics, and automation. As industries continue to adopt and innovate with AI, new and unique applications will emerge.
Why Is AI Such a Big Focus?
AI has become a major topic of discussion due to its rapid advancements and widespread impact. The introduction of tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft CoPilot, and various chatbots has amplified this conversation. AI’s ability to cut costs, increase efficiency, improve productivity, and enhance operations makes it a crucial technology in the modern business landscape.
Despite these advancements, the full impact of AI on the workforce remains uncertain. According to the Future of Jobs Report 2020 by the World Economic Forum, AI is expected to replace 85 million jobs by 2025, affecting roles such as customer service representatives, research analysts, paralegals, and computer programmers.
However, the same report forecasts that AI will also create 97 million new jobs by 2025, including roles for experts in information technology and data analysis. This shift highlights the need for workers to adapt to new skill requirements and emerging job opportunities.
Why Should I Consider Studying AI?
If you choose to study AI, you can gain the skills needed to adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving workplace. This will open doors to a wide range of career opportunities such as AI specialists, machine learning engineers, data scientists, and automation consultants.
While only a few colleges offer specific AI majors, many institutions provide related, valuable programs. Relevant fields include Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Statistics. The core curriculum in these areas focuses on applying mathematical and scientific principles to technology design, development, and operation. Students will study topics like inference, robotics, machine learning, ethics, data science, and more, preparing them to develop and implement AI solutions in real-world scenarios.
Top 25 Best Colleges for AI
Think becoming certified in AI is the right path for you? Check out our picks for the top 25 best colleges for AI in the U.S.
Also referred to as Georgia Tech, this public research university was founded in 1885 as part of the Reconstruction plans post Civil War. At first, it only offered degrees in Mechanical Engineering. In 1901, it would also offer Chemical, Civil, and Electrical Engineering. Today, the top two majors are Computer and Information Sciences and Mechanical Engineering.
Location
Atlanta, GA
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
45,296
Carnegie Mellon University is known for being an extremely selective school and receives approximately 34,000 applications every year. A merger between Carnegie Institute of Technology and the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research in 1900 created the school we know today. Some popular majors include Computer Science, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and Business Administration and Management.
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
16,002
Located right on the Hudson River a few minutes from New York City, Stevens Institute of Technology receives around 14,000 applications each year. About 43% of those applicants will be accepted. The school is classified as "Doctoral/Research Universities--Intensive" and top majors for students include Computer Science, Systems Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
Location
Hoboken, NJ
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
9,314
Columbia has a very selective acceptance rate of 4%, accepting only 2,500 students out of 57,600 applicants. Top choices in regards to majors include Computer Science, Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, Political Science and Government. It’s the oldest institution of higher education in the state, founded before the Declaration of Independence.
Location
New York City, NY
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
34,782
The University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign is a public land-grant research university. It was one of 37 universities that came out of the Morrill Land-Grant Act. When the school opened, there were only 77 students and 2 faculty members. Today, about 67,400 students apply each year to Urbana, 44% of which are accepted.
Location
Champaign, IL
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
56,916
Commonly called NYU, you can find this university in the heart of Manhattan. They have a relatively low acceptance rate of 9%. Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies is the top major, but Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, Research and Experimental Psychology, and Registered Nursing are not far behind. The school has produced a number of famous alumni including Martin Scorsese, Jack Dorsey, Robert Muller III, and Alec Baldwin.
Location
New York City, NY
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
59,144
The University of Southern California is an extremely large school with more graduates than undergraduates. The most popular major by far for undergraduates is Business Administration and Management, General. Some notable alumni include LeVar Burton, Neil Armstrong, Will Ferrell, and George Lucas.
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
48,945
The University of California – Berkeley was the state’s first land-grant university and the first campus in the school system. The California Golden Bears, competing in the Pac-12 conference, have won over 100 national championships. With a first year retention rate of 96%, 81% will go on to graduate within 4 years, 93% within 6.
Location
Berkeley, CA
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
45,307
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, offers up to a doctorate degree with many undergraduate students focusing on Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, and Mathematics. Approximately 27,000 applications are received by the school each year. Alumni have gone on to found companies like Intel, Koch Industries, Dropbox, and Campbell Soup.
Location
Cambridge, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
11,858
Stanford University accepts 4% of applicants, and 98% of students will stay at the school after they complete their first year. Their student-to-faculty ratio is only 5 to 1. The 31st president of the United States, Herbert Hoover, was a graduate of Stanford. Other alumni have included Fulbright Scholars, members of Congress, astronauts, and billionaires. Known as the Stanford Cardinal, their colors are cardinal and white.
Location
Stanford, CA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
18,283
The North Carolina State University at Raleigh is part of the largest university system in the Carolinas: the Research Triangle with Duke University and University of North Carolina. Also known as NC State, the school has a student to faculty ratio of 16 to 1 and a first year retention rate of 94%. A whopping 83% of the incoming class calls North Carolina home.
Location
Raleigh, NC
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
36,700
Accepting just 18% of applicants, 47% of students accepted to decide to attend the University of Michigan. Computer and Information Sciences, Business Administration and Management, and Economics are the most pursued majors. U of M Ann Arbor is home of the “Big House” – the biggest college football stadium in the US.
Location
Ann Arbor, MI
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
51,225
The southernmost campus of the University of California system, it is located close to the Pacific Ocean. The school covers over 140 bachelor’s degree programs, 19 organized research units, and boasts the region’s only academic Health System. The school has a 93% first year retention rate. Some alumni of the San Diego school include Angela Davis, Mike Judge, and David J. Peterson.
Location
La Jolla, CA
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
42,006
The Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) was founded in 1865 as the Worcester County Free Institute of Industrial Science. WPI’s motto is Lehr und Kunst, which is German for “Theory and Practice.” Popular majors among undergraduates include Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, and Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering. WPI was a founding competitor of the FIRST Robotics Competition.
Location
Worcester, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
7,308
Cornell University is made up of seven undergraduate colleges and seven graduate divisions. Some famous alumni have been Christopher Reeve, Bill Nye, E.B. White, and Anthony Fauci. 97% of students stay on after the first year, with 95% graduating within six years. Computer Science is the most popular major.
Location
Ithaca, NY
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
25,898
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university. Alumni include Neil Armstrong, Orville Redenbacher, and Drew Brees. The university accepts about 53% of students. The most popular majors are Computer Science, followed by Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, and Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering.
Location
West Lafayette, IN
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
51,528
The University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1740, primarily by Benjamin Franklin who was also their first president. Franklin Field, where the Quakers play in the NCAA Division I – Ivy League, is named after the founder. With an outstanding 98% first year retention rate, 88% of students will go on to graduate in four years. 97% will graduate in six.
Location
Philadelphia, PA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
28,201
Northeastern University is a Doctoral/Research university founded in 1898. The Boston Campus is one of system’s three residential campuses and is home to the 220,000 square foot Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex. NU has an impressive 97% first year retention rate. The top majors at the school include Business/Commerce, Computer and Information Sciences, and Mechanical Engineering.
Location
Boston, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
30,013
A land-grant research university, Ohio State is known as a Public Ivy. Getting its start in 1870, it was originally known as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The Buckeyes take part in the Big Ten Conference and are well known for their football program. With 989 athletes, other popular sports at the school include track, baseball, ice hockey, and fencing.
Location
Columbus, OH
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
60,540
A majority of incoming students attending University of Maryland at College Park are from Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. It’s often called a “Public Ivy,” because of its comparable education to Ivy League schools, and has extremely high research activity. Computer Science is the most popular major.
Location
College Park, MD
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
40,792
Methodists and Quakers founded Duke University in 1838. The school has produced 50 Rhodes Scholars, three Turing Award winners, and 15 Noble laureates. Known as the Blue Devils, the university’s colors are Duke blue and white. The top majors among students include Computer Science, Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, and Public Policy Analysis.
Location
Durham, NC
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
18,023
The University of California in Los Angeles, a public land-grant research university, is the second-oldest branch of the school system. Its motto is “fiat lux,” or “let there be light.” Famous alumni have included Sean Astin, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Morhaime, Jim Morrison, and Troy Aikman. It has an acceptance rate of 9%.
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
46,430
The University of Texas at Dallas has a very inspiring motto: “A cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy.” 69% of the student body are studying for their bachelor’s degree, though the school offers up to doctoral degrees. UT Dallas athletic teams are known as the Comets, and their mascot is Temoc (comet spelled backwards).
Location
Richardson, TX
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
31,570
College Station is the flagship campus of the Texas A&M University system and a land-, sea-, and space-grant school. Also known as TAMU, the school has an impressive 95% first-year retention rate and a 6-year graduation rate of 84%. Maroon and white are the official colors of the Texas A&M Aggies.
Location
College Station, TX
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
74,014
The University of Wisconsin - Madison was the first public university in the state as it was founded when Wisconsin received statehood in 1848. Their motto is “Numen Lumen” or “Divine Light.” It’s also the largest employer in the state as it has over 24,200 faculty and staff. There are more than 140 undergraduate majors available to those attending.
Location
Madison, WI
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
48,956
Methodology
Colleges are ranked based on a combination of factors, including graduation rates, campus diversity, endowment per student, and other data as reported via the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the most recently available enrollment year. Some colleges may have been excluded from rankings based on certain criteria, including specialization and classification. Learn about our full methodology.
For this list we also consider strength in fields related to AI. Colleges are just beginning to offer majors dedicated to the AI field. However, many existing programs work with AI on an everyday basis. So for the purposes of this list, we include the best colleges in the US based on programs like computer science, electrical engineering, and mathematics. Factors include total number of degrees conferred in these programs each year as well as the proportion of students majoring in these fields relative to the overall student body.
Preparing for the Future
Whether you’re a current professional or a student planning your future, you need to be prepared for the introduction and ongoing use of AI in the workspace. Understanding AI can equip you with the skills you need to advance and secure a job in an ever-evolving workplace.
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