Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Component engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a component engineer. Component engineers usually study electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering technology. 71% of component engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,054 real component engineer resumes to see exactly what component engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for component engineers are the Northeastern University and the Northeastern University.
There are also many online component engineer courses to help get the education required to be a component engineer.
There are certain component engineer certifications that you should consider. These component engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Industrial Electronics (IND).
What education do you need to become a component engineer?
What degree do you need to be a component engineer?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a component engineer?
- Business, 5%
- Other Majors, 24%
Most common colleges for component engineers
| Component engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Northeastern University | 9.29% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 7.86% |
| Purdue University | 7.86% |
| San Jose State University | 5.71% |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 5.71% |
Best majors for component engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 43.7% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 18.0% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 8.6% |
| 4 | Business | 5.3% |
| 5 | Engineering | 3.3% |
Best colleges for component engineers
The best colleges for component engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University.
A component 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 component 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 component 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 component engineers
Advertising disclosure
1. Work with Components in Figma
Components are popular in engineering and used for building user interfaces and games. Components are elements that you can use in designs when working with Figma. They help to make your projects have consistency. Adding the concept of components to a design tool makes the composition of complex designs more consistent and efficient. The great part of components in Figma is that Figma wants to make components easy to learn and use while still being powerful enough for advanced users. Learning...
2. Reliability and Maintenance Engineering - FMEA
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis - A mechanical engineering approach to risk management of plant and machinery...
3. Reliability Engineering Statistics
The Foundation in Probability and Statistics You Need to Understand Reliability Engineering...
4. Internal Combustion Engine Basics (Mechanical Engineering)
Learn how internal combustion engines work! Learn all of a combustion engine's main components and how they work!...
5. An Introduction to Reliability Engineering
A Study of Why Things Fail and How to Measure and Improve their Useful Life...
6. Diesel Engine Fundamentals (Mechanical Engineering)
Learn about the diesel engine! Ideal for Automotive Engineering and Automobile Engineering!...
7. Introduction to Reliability, Maintainability & Availability
A solid foundation for Project Managers & Systems Engineers...
8. Power Engineering: Power System Analysis - Part 1
Start your career in electrical engineering and power engineering by learning the fundamentals of power system analysis...
9. Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Practice Tests
Pass the Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Exam...
10. Web Components & Stencil.js - Build Custom HTML Elements
A Complete Introduction to building Custom HTML Elements/ Web Components with and without Stencil JS...
11. 2 Real World Azure Data Engineer Project End to End
Engineering Project Building from scratch including designing, architecting, implementing solution and overall testing...
12. Certified Quality Engineer Training [2022]
Comprehensive Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) Exam Preparation Course (2022 Body of Knowledge)...
13. Product Development & Systems Engineering
The complete Product Development & Systems Engineering course! Earn 25 contact hours AND prepare to take the INCOSE Exam...
14. The Ultimate Hands-On Lightning Web Component
The most complete Salesforce LWC Development course brought to you by a Google Software Engineer...
15. Design Failure Mode Effect Analysis - Concepts & Practice
Learn about the fundamentals of preparing DFMEA for Mechanical design engineers...
16. Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Course [2019 Update]
Take this course to prepare for the GCP Data Engineers Exam. Updated to reflect latest exam content...
17. React styled components / styled-components [V5 EDITION]
Ditch CSS stylesheets! Learn CSS in JS to quickly and cleanly style React components with the styled components library...
18. React Styled Components Course (V5)
Step by Step Learn Styled-Components...
19. [LEGACY] Advanced React Component Patterns
Build reusable React components without relying on if statements or more props! Use hooks & trusted advanced patterns!...
20. Understanding Engineering Drawings
How Technical Information is Conveyed from Engineers and Designers to Manufacturing and Supply Chain Professionals...
Top 10 most affordable universities for component engineers
The most affordable schools for component engineers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, california state university - long beach, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.
If the best universities for component 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 component 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 component engineers
The hardest universities for component engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University.
Some great schools for component 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 component 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 component engineers
The easiest schools for component 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 component 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 component 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 component engineer salary by education level
| Component engineer education level | Component engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $95,572 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $87,209 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $76,039 |
Component engineer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for component engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025