Associate project engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an associate project engineer. Associate project engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or civil engineering. 76% of associate project engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 411 real associate project engineer resumes to see exactly what associate project engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for associate project engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

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

What education do you need to become an associate project engineer?

What degree do you need to be an associate project engineer?

The most common degree for associate project engineers is bachelor's degree, with 76% of associate project engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 11% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 76%

Associate, 11%

Master's, 9%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an associate project engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become an associate project engineer. 26% of associate project engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for an associate project engineer include electrical engineering and civil engineering.

Mechanical Engineering, 26%

Electrical Engineering, 17%

Civil Engineering, 13%

Chemical Engineering, 7%

Other Majors, 37%

Most common colleges for associate project engineers

Associate project engineers often get their degrees at Purdue University, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for associate project engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Associate project engineer common college	Percentages
Purdue University	14.29%
University of Illinois at Chicago	7.69%
Pennsylvania State University	7.69%
Drexel University	6.59%
Northern Illinois University	6.59%

Show more common associate project engineer colleges

Best majors for associate project engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	26.0%
2	Electrical Engineering	17.2%
3	Civil Engineering	12.7%
4	Chemical Engineering	7.1%
5	Engineering	5.8%

Show more common associate project engineer majors

Best colleges for associate project engineers

The best colleges for associate project engineers are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.

An associate project 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 associate project 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 associate project engineers.

1. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for associate project engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for associate project engineers

The most affordable schools for associate project engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for associate project 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 associate project engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for associate project engineers

The hardest universities for associate project engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for associate project 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 associate project 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for associate project engineers

The easiest schools for associate project engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, texas a&m; university - kingsville, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an associate project 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 associate project engineers.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

6. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

7. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average associate project engineer salary by education level

According to our data, associate project engineers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $86,705 annually. Associate project engineers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $80,665.

Associate project engineer education level	Associate project engineer salary
Master's Degree	$86,705
Bachelor's Degree	$80,665

Associate project engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Associate Project Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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