Core network engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a core network engineer. Core network engineers usually study electrical engineering, computer science, or computer engineering. 74% of core network engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 335 real core network engineer resumes to see exactly what core network engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for core network engineers are the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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

What education do you need to become a core network engineer?

What degree do you need to be a core network engineer?

The most common degree for core network engineers is bachelor's degree, with 74% of core network engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 74%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 4%

Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a core network engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a core network engineer. 37% of core network engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a core network engineer include computer science and computer engineering.

Electrical Engineering, 37%

Computer Science, 11%

Computer Engineering, 10%

Computer Networking, 7%

Other Majors, 35%

Most common colleges for core network engineers

Core network engineers often get their degrees at University of Illinois at Chicago, Syracuse University, and Cairn University. Here are the most common colleges for core network engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Core network engineer common college	Percentages
University of Illinois at Chicago	9.38%
Syracuse University	6.25%
Cairn University	6.25%
University of Texas at Austin	6.25%
University of Phoenix	6.25%

Show more common core network engineer colleges

Best majors for core network engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	37.4%
2	Computer Science	11.1%
3	Computer Engineering	9.6%
4	Computer Networking	7.1%
5	Business	4.5%

Show more common core network engineer majors

Best colleges for core network engineers

The best colleges for core network engineers are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

A core network 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 core network 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 core network engineers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,880

Enrollment

6,590

9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

4,169

10. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

20 best online courses for core network engineers

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Master the ASP.NET Core Web API concepts, Develop RESTful Web API and consume them in Angular application...

20. Computer Network Fundamentals- IT Helpdesk & Desktop Support

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Learn the basic fundamentals of computer networking & OSI model for desktop support and IT service desk technicians...

Top 10 most affordable universities for core network engineers

The most affordable schools for core network engineers are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for core network 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 core network engineers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for core network engineers

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

Some great schools for core network 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 core network 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

SAT average

1,497

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for core network engineers

The easiest schools for core network engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, capitol technology university, and oregon institute of technology.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

Average core network engineer salary by education level

According to our data, core network engineers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $114,873 annually. Core network engineers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $111,433.

Core network engineer education level	Core network engineer salary
Master's Degree	$114,873
High School Diploma or Less	$101,258
Bachelor's Degree	$111,433
Some College/ Associate Degree	$102,376

Core network engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Core Network Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical 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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