Controls designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a controls designer. Controls designers usually study electrical engineering, drafting and design, or mechanical engineering. 53% of controls designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,085 real controls designer resumes to see exactly what controls designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for controls designers are the Drexel University and the Drexel University.

There are also many online controls designer courses to help get the education required to be a controls designer.

What education do you need to become a controls designer?

What degree do you need to be a controls designer?

The most common degree for controls designers is bachelor's degree, with 53% of controls designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 28% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 53%

Associate, 28%

Master's, 10%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a controls designer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a controls designer. 32% of controls designers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a controls designer include drafting and design and mechanical engineering.

Electrical Engineering, 32%

Drafting And Design, 13%

Mechanical Engineering, 11%

Electrical Engineering Technology, 9%

Other Majors, 35%

Most common colleges for controls designers

Controls designers often get their degrees at Drexel University, University of Southern California, and Central State University. Here are the most common colleges for controls designers in the US based on their resumes.

Controls designer common college	Percentages
Drexel University	8.57%
University of Southern California	8.57%
Central State University	7.14%
University of Phoenix	7.14%
DeVry University	5.71%

Show more common controls designer colleges

Best majors for controls designers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	31.8%
2	Drafting And Design	12.6%
3	Mechanical Engineering	11.5%
4	Electrical Engineering Technology	9.2%
5	Engineering	5.3%

Show more common controls designer majors

Best colleges for controls designers

The best colleges for controls designers are Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A controls designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for controls designers. 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 controls designers.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

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. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

20 best online courses for controls designers

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Learn fundamentals of Mechanical & electrical system modeling, simulation and control with this unique practical course!...

4. PID Controllers - Intro to Control Design

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Learn to write your own control software while learning fundamental control theory...

5. Control Systems: From Mathematical Modelling to PID Control

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Learn the mathematics that will allow you to model and control any engineering system. Make machines do what you want!...

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Learn the parts and wiring techniques used in a motor control installation, become a Controls Electrician...

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20. HMI Programming & Design - FactoryTalk View ME SCADA PLC

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Top 10 most affordable universities for controls designers

The most affordable schools for controls designers are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.

If the best universities for controls designers 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 controls designers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Beckley, WV • Private

In-state tuition

$7,464

Cost of attendance

17,166

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for controls designers

The hardest universities for controls designers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for controls designers 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 controls designers 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

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

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 controls designers

The easiest schools for controls designers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, south dakota state university, and capitol technology university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a controls designer 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 controls designers.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

3. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

4. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

5. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

6. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

7. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

8. Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,111

9. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

10. Suffolk University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,131

Average controls designer salary by education level

According to our data, controls designers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $110,671 annually. Controls designers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $100,502.

Controls designer education level	Controls designer salary
Master's Degree	$100,502
Bachelor's Degree	$89,815
Doctorate Degree	$110,671

Controls designer education FAQs

What is the best college for Controls Designers?

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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