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Compliance engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a compliance engineer. Compliance engineers usually study electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or chemical engineering. 72% of compliance engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 884 real compliance engineer resumes to see exactly what compliance engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for compliance engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online compliance engineer courses to help get the education required to be a compliance engineer.
There are certain compliance engineer certifications that you should consider. These compliance engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Incident Safety Officer - Fire Suppression Certification (ISO).
What education do you need to become a compliance engineer?
What degree do you need to be a compliance engineer?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 11%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a compliance engineer?
- Chemical Engineering, 11%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for compliance engineers
| Compliance engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 10.92% |
| DeVry University | 8.40% |
| Northeastern University | 5.88% |
| University of Massachusetts - Lowell | 5.88% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.88% |
Best majors for compliance engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 35.1% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 13.7% |
| 3 | Chemical Engineering | 10.8% |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 6.2% |
| 5 | Business | 5.0% |
Best colleges for compliance engineers
The best colleges for compliance engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University.
A compliance 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 compliance 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 compliance engineers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
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. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Enrollment
24,841
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for compliance engineers
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Streamline the most critical human resource (HR) processes and be in compliance with U.S. employment regulations...
14. The Ultimate Guide to Money Laundering and AML Compliance
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15. Build Powerful Compliance Programs & Prevent Corporate Fraud
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16. Privacy and Data Protection, Certified GDPR Compliance
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17. 3-in-1 Banking, Banking Risk and Compliance Masterclass
The essentials of the banking business (business model, compliance, others), financial risk management and compliance...
18. AML Compliance in Practice: Suspicious Activity Reports
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19. PCI DSS Standard and Compliance Online Training
Master the 12 Requirements of PCI DSS Compliance + Course Quiz + Useful Links for further understanding...
20. SC-900: Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity + Test
Learning Azure and Microsoft 365 Security, Compliance, and Identity configurations...
Top 10 most affordable universities for compliance engineers
The most affordable schools for compliance engineers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, california state university - long beach, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.
If the best universities for compliance 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 compliance engineers.
1. United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$1,080
Cost of attendance
6,646
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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 compliance engineers
The hardest universities for compliance engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University.
Some great schools for compliance 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 compliance 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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
4. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for compliance engineers
The easiest schools for compliance engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, the university of texas at el paso, and saint cloud state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a compliance 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 compliance engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
3. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
4. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
5. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
6. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
7. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
8. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
9. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
10. The Citadel
Charleston, SC • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,129
Average compliance engineer salary by education level
| Compliance engineer education level | Compliance engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $116,908 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $101,838 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $82,833 |
Compliance engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025