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Automotive engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an automotive engineer. Automotive engineers usually study mechanical engineering, mechanical engineering technology, or automotive technology. 71% of automotive engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 249 real automotive engineer resumes to see exactly what automotive engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for automotive engineers are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.
There are also many online automotive engineer courses to help get the education required to be an automotive engineer.
What education do you need to become an automotive engineer?
What degree do you need to be an automotive engineer?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 9%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an automotive engineer?
- Other Majors, 31%
Most common colleges for automotive engineers
| Automotive engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Florida | 6.82% |
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | 6.82% |
| Ohio State University | 6.82% |
| Wayne State University | 6.82% |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | 6.82% |
Best majors for automotive engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 50.6% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering Technology | 7.1% |
| 3 | Automotive Technology | 6.5% |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering | 5.3% |
| 5 | Engineering | 4.7% |
Best colleges for automotive engineers
The best colleges for automotive engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.
An automotive 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 automotive 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 automotive engineers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,646
Enrollment
5,736
3. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for automotive engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for automotive engineers
The most affordable schools for automotive engineers are SUNY Farmingdale, purdue university, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for automotive 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 automotive engineers.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
5. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
6. Brigham Young University - Idaho
Rexburg, ID • Private
In-state tuition
$4,118
Cost of attendance
12,223
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$6,686
Cost of attendance
17,885
10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Cost of attendance
13,476
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for automotive engineers
The hardest universities for automotive engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.
Some great schools for automotive 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 automotive 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for automotive engineers
The easiest schools for automotive engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, saint martin's university, and cleveland state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an automotive 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 automotive engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
3. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
4. Saint Francis University
Loretto, PA • Private
Admissions rate
75%
SAT average
1,146
5. Pennsylvania State University - Berks
Reading, PA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,107
6. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
7. Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,070
8. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
9. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,068
10. Middle Georgia State University
Macon, GA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
980
Average automotive engineer salary by education level
| Automotive engineer education level | Automotive engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $93,716 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $81,231 |
| Doctorate Degree | $102,832 |
Automotive engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025