Avionics engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an avionics engineer. Avionics engineers usually study electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or computer science. 73% of avionics engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 385 real avionics engineer resumes to see exactly what avionics engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for avionics engineers are the Wichita State University and the Wichita State University.

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

What education do you need to become an avionics engineer?

What degree do you need to be an avionics engineer?

The most common degree for avionics engineers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of avionics engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 73%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 9%

Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an avionics engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become an avionics engineer. 57% of avionics engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for an avionics engineer include mechanical engineering and computer science.

Electrical Engineering, 57%

Mechanical Engineering, 5%

Computer Science, 5%

Aviation, 4%

Other Majors, 29%

Most common colleges for avionics engineers

Avionics engineers often get their degrees at Wichita State University, University of Central Florida, and Florida International University. Here are the most common colleges for avionics engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Avionics engineer common college	Percentages
Wichita State University	11.94%
University of Central Florida	10.45%
Florida International University	7.46%
Purdue University	7.46%
Oklahoma State University	5.97%

Show more common avionics engineer colleges

Best majors for avionics engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	57.4%
2	Mechanical Engineering	4.7%
3	Computer Science	4.7%
4	Aviation	4.3%
5	Aerospace Engineering	3.9%

Show more common avionics engineer majors

Best colleges for avionics engineers

The best colleges for avionics engineers are Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.

An avionics 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 avionics 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 avionics engineers.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

4. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Rice University

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$47,350

Enrollment

3,962

9. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Enrollment

24,841

20 best online courses for avionics engineers

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3. Aerospace Engineering: Aircraft Systems and Avionics

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Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering: Master the Systems of Airplanes - Hydraulics, Avionics, Electric, Propulsion...

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6. Power Engineering: Power System Analysis - Part 1

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14. Flight Mechanics - From Theory to Certification of Aircraft

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Modeling theory, aircraft 6DOF simulation, flight dynamics, flight simulators and aircraft certification...

15. Control Systems: From Mathematical Modelling to PID Control

4.2

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16. ETAP Power System Analysis For Electrical Engineers

4.3

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17. Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Practice Tests

4.3

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Pass the Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Exam...

18. Etap for Electrical Engineers

4.2

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Design, Simulate and Analyze Power systems in Etap...

19. Control Systems Made Simple Beginner's Guide

4.4

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20. Electric Circuits for Electrical Engineering and Electronics

4.5

(593)

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Top 10 most affordable universities for avionics engineers

The most affordable schools for avionics engineers are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and california state polytechnic university, pomona.

If the best universities for avionics 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 avionics engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for avionics engineers

The hardest universities for avionics engineers to get into are Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.

Some great schools for avionics 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 avionics 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

7. Rice University

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for avionics engineers

The easiest schools for avionics engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and pennsylvania state university - berks.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

4. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

5. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

6. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

7. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

8. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

9. Wichita State University

Wichita, KS • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,152

10. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

Average avionics engineer salary by education level

According to our data, avionics engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $106,604 annually. Avionics engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $101,460.

Avionics engineer education level	Avionics engineer salary
Master's Degree	$101,460
Bachelor's Degree	$92,997
Doctorate Degree	$106,604

Avionics engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Avionics 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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