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Assistant software engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an assistant software engineer. Assistant software engineers usually study computer science, electrical engineering, or computer engineering. 74% of assistant software engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 370 real assistant software engineer resumes to see exactly what assistant software engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for assistant software engineers are the Syracuse University and the Syracuse University.

There are also many online assistant software engineer courses to help get the education required to be an assistant software engineer.

What education do you need to become an assistant software engineer?

What degree do you need to be an assistant software engineer?

The most common degree for assistant software engineers is bachelor's degree, with 74% of assistant software engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 21% and master's degree degree at 2%.
  • Bachelor's, 74%
  • Master's, 21%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become an assistant software engineer?

You should major in computer science to become an assistant software engineer. 27% of assistant software engineers major in computer science. Other common majors for an assistant software engineer include electrical engineering and computer engineering.

Most common colleges for assistant software engineers

Assistant software engineers often get their degrees at Syracuse University, National University, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for assistant software engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Assistant software engineer common collegePercentages
Syracuse University7.14%
National University7.14%
University of California - Davis7.14%
Santa Clara University7.14%
University of Missouri - St Louis7.14%

Best majors for assistant software engineers

Best colleges for assistant software engineers

The best colleges for assistant software engineers are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

An assistant software engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for assistant software engineers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become assistant software engineers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

20 best online courses for assistant software engineers

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5. Software Engineering

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16. Data Engineer

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17. iOS Developer

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18. JSP, Servlets and JDBC for Beginners: Build a Database App

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19. Oracle PL/SQL Fundamentals vol. I & II

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A complete introduction to PL/SQL database programming language...

20. React Development (Part Time)

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Expand your JavaScript programming skills, and boost your profile at work — and on the job market. Learn to build sophisticated, scalable web applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant software engineers

The most affordable schools for assistant software engineers are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - bakersfield, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for assistant software engineers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for assistant software engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant software engineers

The hardest universities for assistant software engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for assistant software engineers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for assistant software engineers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

10. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant software engineers

The easiest schools for assistant software engineers to get into are Capitol Technology University, oregon institute of technology, and linfield college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant software engineer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for assistant software engineers.

1. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

2. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

3. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

4. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

5. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

6. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

7. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

8. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

9. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average assistant software engineer salary by education level

According to our data, assistant software engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $88,176 annually. Assistant software engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $82,594.
Assistant software engineer education levelAssistant software engineer salary
Master's Degree$82,594
Bachelor's Degree$76,999
Doctorate Degree$88,176

Assistant software engineer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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