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Combustion engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a combustion engineer. Combustion engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or aerospace engineering. 68% of combustion engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 112 real combustion engineer resumes to see exactly what combustion engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for combustion engineers are the Alfred University and the Alfred University.

There are also many online combustion engineer courses to help get the education required to be a combustion engineer.

What education do you need to become a combustion engineer?

What degree do you need to be a combustion engineer?

The most common degree for combustion engineers is bachelor's degree, with 68% of combustion engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Master's, 22%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Doctorate, 3%

What should I major in to become a combustion engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a combustion engineer. 53% of combustion engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a combustion engineer include electrical engineering and aerospace engineering.

Most common colleges for combustion engineers

Combustion engineers often get their degrees at Alfred University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and Brigham Young University. Here are the most common colleges for combustion engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Combustion engineer common collegePercentages
Alfred University12.50%
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology9.38%
Brigham Young University9.38%
Purdue University6.25%
University of California, Berkeley6.25%

Best majors for combustion engineers

Best colleges for combustion engineers

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

A combustion 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 combustion 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 combustion 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for combustion engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for combustion engineers

The most affordable schools for combustion engineers are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and purdue university.

If the best universities for combustion 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 combustion engineers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

4. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

5. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

10. Eastern Washington University

Cheney, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,323

Cost of attendance

19,450

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for combustion engineers

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

Some great schools for combustion 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 combustion 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. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

9. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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

The easiest schools for combustion engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, saint martin's university, and pennsylvania state university - berks.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a combustion 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 combustion 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. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

4. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

5. Saint Francis University

Loretto, PA • Private

Admissions rate

75%

SAT average

1,146

6. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

7. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

8. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

9. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois

DuBois, PA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,079

10. Brigham Young University - Idaho

Rexburg, ID • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,140

Average combustion engineer salary by education level

According to our data, combustion engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $108,101 annually. Combustion engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $99,008.
Combustion engineer education levelCombustion engineer salary
Master's Degree$99,008
Bachelor's Degree$86,476
Doctorate Degree$108,101

Combustion 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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