With robotics changing the way we live, work, and work with machines, the need for a skilled robotic engineer is on the rise. Whether creating smart manufacturing robots, designing self-driving cars, or constructing surgical robots for medicine, robotics engineers are behind this next generation of technology.
If you are considering a career in this dynamic sector, finding the ideal university is one of the most critical decisions that you’ll have to make. The top robotics engineering programs offer hands-on training opportunities, opportunities for cutting-edge research, and strong industry connections to provide students with the best chance for success.
Top Universities for Robotics Engineer Degrees
So, where should you study? We’ll take a deeper dive later into the top universities for robotics engineer degrees in 2025 — and why they deserve recognition.
Carnegie Mellon University (USA)
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Degree: B.S., M.S., Ph.D. in Robotics Engineering
If there’s such a thing as a gold standard of robotics education, it’s Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Home of the infamous Robotics Institute, CMU has both undergrad, masters and PhD programs focused solely on robotics—something that very few schools can boast of.
Students have the resources of state-of-the-art labs such as the National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) and frequently engage in real applications with automation, computer vision, machine learning, and human-robot interaction. CMU also has strong connections to companies like Google, Uber ATG and Boston Dynamics, providing great internship and job prospects.
ETH Zurich (Switzerland)
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Degree: M.Sc. in Robotics, Systems and Control
ETH Zurich is one of the leading technical universities in Europe and among the world’s best universities when it comes to technology and engineering. Its program in Robotics, Systems, and Control mixes mechanical engineering and electrical engineering with computer science, providing a strong, cross-cutting education.
ETH’s Autonomous Systems Lab and Agile & Dexterous Robotics Lab provide state-of-the-art research in drones, AI and in industrial robotics.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (United States)
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Major: MechE with a Robotics Focus (course 2A-4, 4-2) or EECS (course 6-2) with an AI & Robotics concentration
MIT is a world-leader in innovation, and its robotics research is distributed throughout numerous departments such as mechanical engineering, computer science and electrical engineering. Although MIT does not have an independent robotics engineering major for undergraduates, students can individualize their program of study with a concentration in robotics and autonomous systems.
Labs at places like the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the Biomimetic Robotics Lab are pioneering new ways that we can see what machines are capable of.
University of Tokyo (Japan)
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Degree: M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Mechano-Informatics and Robotics
Japan is a global tech powerhouse and home to one of the world’s leading robotics markets. The University of Tokyo provides one of the finest robotics taught as part of the Department of Mechano-Informatics with its focus on robotic hardware, software and AI.
Founded in 1949 with a strong emphasis on humanoid robotics, cybernetics, and sensor integration, alumni of the university tend to wind up working at companies such as Honda, Toyota, Sony, and Panasonic.
Stanford University (USA)
Location: Stanford, California
Degree: M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (Robotics Track), AI and Robotics in CS
Stanford is located in Silicon Valley and has a strong interdisciplinary focus on robotics. And with mechanical systems or artificial intelligence on the mind, Stanford lets students design their own robotics pathway either through the School of Engineering at Stanford or the robotics department at its Computer Science program.
Stanford Robotics Lab and Stanford Vision and Learning Lab are pioneering work in autonomous navigation, human-robot interaction, and learning-based control.
University of Oxford (UK)
Location: Oxford, England
Qualification: MSc Robotics and Autonomous Systems
Oxford has a more recent, rapidly expanding master’s program in the development and deployment of intelligent informatics systems. Pushed by AI, control theory and machine learning, Oxford is establishing itself as a center for robotics research in the UK.
The ORI works with industrial and government sectors on autonomous vehicles, robotic mobility, and perception systems.
Technical University of Munich (Germany)
Location: Munich, Germany
Degree: M.Sc. in Robotics, Cognition, Intelligence
Germany is renowned for its excellence in engineering and TUM is leading the way in the interdisciplinary field of robotics. Robot perception, planning and AI-based control systems all receive deep dives in the master’s on Robotics, Cognition, Intelligence.
Down the road from industrial titans Siemens, BMW and Bosch, TUM offers students real project work and some industrial connections.
Georgia Institute of Technology (USA)
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Degree: B.S. and M.S. in Robotics, Ph.D. in Robotics
The Georgia Institute of Technology provides one of the most comprehensive selections of robotics engineering education programs in the United States, such as an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, which is a mixture of mechanical engineering, computer and electric systems.
Its Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines (IRIM) provides a strong foundation in robotics R&D, including in the medical robotics, aerial drone, and autonomous mobility systems areas.
University of Toronto (Canada)
Location: Toronto, Canada
Degree: M.Eng. and M.A.Sc. in Robotics and Mechatronics
U of T is one of best schools to study robotics in North America. In its Institute for Robotics and Mechatronics, students can make use of high-tech equipment and work on projects about robot vision, autonomous systems and human-robot interaction.
Canada’s thriving tech ecosystem is an ideal place to launch careers in robotics, particularly in smart manufacturing and AI.
National University of Singapore (NUS)
Location: Singapore
Degree: B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering with specialization in Robotics, M.Sc. in Robotics
Ranked as Asia’s leading university and flying high in the robotics education. Its curricula cover the theory and application of robotics for automation, AI and smart cities.
NUS is also affiliated with companies and research centers in Singapore’s innovation district, which provides students with a tech-driven learning environment.
Bottom Line
By 2025, training to be a robotics engineer will be about more than just obtaining a degree — it will be about selecting an environment that encourages your curiosity, offers you quick access to the latest technologies, and prepares you to solve the problems of tomorrow.
Whether you are targeting the labs of MIT, the research halls of ETH Zurich, or the innovation parks of Tokyo or Munich, these are the best portals for those who dream of creating a future with robotics!