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Computer applications engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a computer applications engineer. Computer applications engineers usually study electrical engineering, business, or computer science. 63% of computer applications engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 111 real computer applications engineer resumes to see exactly what computer applications engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for computer applications engineers are the Wayne State University and the Wayne State University.

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

What education do you need to become a computer applications engineer?

What degree do you need to be a computer applications engineer?

The most common degree for computer applications engineers is bachelor's degree, with 63% of computer applications engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Master's, 17%
  • Associate, 13%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a computer applications engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a computer applications engineer. 14% of computer applications engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a computer applications engineer include business and computer science.

Most common colleges for computer applications engineers

Computer applications engineers often get their degrees at Wayne State University, Brigham Young University, and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. Here are the most common colleges for computer applications engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Computer applications engineer common collegePercentages
Wayne State University12.50%
Brigham Young University8.33%
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor8.33%
University of Houston4.17%
Eastern Michigan University4.17%

Best majors for computer applications engineers

Best colleges for computer applications engineers

The best colleges for computer applications engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A computer applications 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 computer applications 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 computer applications engineers.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Lafayette, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,912

Enrollment

14,245

7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

8. University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA • Private

In-state tuition

$8,938

Enrollment

9,391

9. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for computer applications engineers

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Prepare for a data science career by learning the fundamental data programming tools: R, SQL, command line, and git...

4. Full Stack Web Developer

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Design and develop modern web applications.Students will also learn how to deploy a Flask-based web application to the cloud using Docker and Kubernetes...

5. 3D CAD Application

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6. Cloud Computing Applications, Part 2: Big Data and Applications in the Cloud

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Welcome to the Cloud Computing Applications course, the second part of a two-course series designed to give you a comprehensive view on the world of Cloud Computing and Big Data! In this second course we continue Cloud Computing Applications by exploring how the Cloud opens up data analytics of huge volumes of data that are static or streamed at high velocity and represent an enormous variety of information. Cloud applications and data analytics represent a disruptive change in the ways that...

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14. Reporting Application Metrics into Cloud Monitoring

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This is a self-paced lab that takes place in the Google Cloud console. In this lab you will run an application on Compute Engine instance and report the application’s metrics into Cloud Monitoring using the OpenCensus library...

15. Secure Programming of Web Applications - Developers and TPMs

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Gain fluency in JavaScript — the world's most popular programming language — and start leveraging its versatile capabilities to build rich, interactive websites and applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

19. Data Engineer

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20. iOS Developer

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Master the Swift programming language, and create a portfolio of iOS apps for iPhone and iPad to showcase your skills!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for computer applications engineers

The most affordable schools for computer applications engineers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for computer applications 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 computer applications engineers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for computer applications engineers

The hardest universities for computer applications engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for computer applications 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 computer applications 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

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

9. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,339

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for computer applications engineers

The easiest schools for computer applications engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and nyack college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a computer applications 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 computer applications engineers.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

5. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

Average computer applications engineer salary by education level

According to our data, computer applications engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $110,918 annually. Computer applications engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $102,685.
Computer applications engineer education levelComputer applications engineer salary
Master's Degree$102,685
Bachelor's Degree$94,532
Doctorate Degree$110,918

Computer applications 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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