Data engineer education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a data engineer?

To be a data engineer, you need a bachelor's degree in math, data analytics, computer science, or related fields. These degrees will help you gain knowledge of various programming languages and systems. Along with formal education requirements, most positions require real-world experience. Undergraduates can complete internships that will give them this experience. With this experience and a bachelor's degree, you are qualified to begin seeking an entry-level position as a data engineer. If you are interested in moving up to higher-paid, more specialized positions, it may be necessary to receive further education. Many people who begin as data engineers will eventually pursue higher education degrees in computer science, engineering, or a related field.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a data engineer. Data engineers usually study computer science, electrical engineering, or business. 65% of data engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,742 real data engineer resumes to see exactly what data engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for data engineers are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.

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

There are certain data engineer certifications that you should consider. These data engineer certifications include Associate - Data Science Version 2.0 and IBM Certified Developer - Apache Spark 1.6.

What education do you need to become a data engineer?

What degree do you need to be a data engineer?

The most common degree for data engineers is bachelor's degree, with 65% of data engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 65%

Master's, 22%

Associate, 7%

Doctorate, 2%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a data engineer?

You should major in computer science to become a data engineer. 25% of data engineers major in computer science. Other common majors for a data engineer include electrical engineering and business.

Computer Science, 25%

Electrical Engineering, 14%

Business, 8%

Computer Engineering, 8%

Other Majors, 45%

Most common colleges for data engineers

Data engineers often get their degrees at Texas A&M; University, University of Maryland - College Park, and Purdue University. Here are the most common colleges for data engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Data engineer common college	Percentages
Texas A&M University	7.37%
University of Maryland - College Park	6.91%
Purdue University	6.91%
University of Texas at Austin	5.99%
San Jose State University	5.53%

Show more common data engineer colleges

Best majors for data engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	25.4%
2	Electrical Engineering	13.8%
3	Business	8.0%
4	Computer Engineering	7.6%
5	Engineering	5.4%

Show more common data engineer majors

Best colleges for data engineers

The best colleges for data engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A data 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 data 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 data engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Enrollment

24,841

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

10. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

20 best online courses for data engineers

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1. Software Engineering Immersive (Full-time)

Meet the global demand for technical problem-solvers by developing your coding skills to create full-stack web applications across multiple frameworks, incorporating functionality from third-party APIs, executing software engineering projects in an Agile development workflow, and more...

2. Data Science Immersive (Full-time)

Harness the power of data science to solve the world’s most challenging problems by developing your skills in predictive modeling, pattern recognition, data visualization, wrangling massive data sets, forecasting trends, and informing strategy across diverse industries like public policy, robotics, and FinTech...

3. Programming for Data Science with R

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

4. Full Stack Web Developer

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. IBM Data Warehouse Engineer

Prepare for a career in the field of data warehousing. In this program, you’ll learn in-demand skills like SQL, Linux, and database architecture to get job-ready in less than 3 months.\n\nData warehouse engineers design and build large databases called data warehouses, used for data and business analytics. They work closely with data analysts, data scientists, and project management to power analysis that enable insights and inform decision-making.\n\nThis program will teach you the...

6. Data Engineering - ETL, Web Scraping ,Big Data,SQL,Power BI

4.2

(300)

Hands on Data Interaction using - ETL, Web Scraping ,Big Data,SQL,Power BI...

7. SQL, NoSQL, Big Data and Hadoop

4.4

(370)

A comprehensive journey through the world of database and data engineering concepts - from SQL, No SQL to Hadoop...

8. Data Science (Part Time)

Create robust predictive models with statistics and Python programming. Build confidence and credibility to tackle complex machine learning problems on the job. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

9. Python Programming (Part Time)

Gain fluency in Python — the world's fastest-growing major programming language — and start leveraging its versatile capabilities to build web and data science applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

10. Android Kotlin Developer

Master Android app development with Kotlin, a modern programming language that enables developers to be more concise and productive. Build professional apps for the world's most popular mobile platform using Android Studio and Kotlin...

11. Artificial Intelligence for Trading

Complete real-world projects designed by industry experts, covering topics from asset management to trading signal generation. Master AI algorithms for trading, and build your career-ready portfolio...

12. Data Engineering Essentials using SQL, Python, and PySpark

4.4

(3,028)

Learn key Data Engineering Skills such as SQL, Python, Apache Spark (Spark SQL and Pyspark) with Exercises and Projects...

13. Complete SQL Bootcamp for Data Science, Analytics, Marketing

4.7

(1,909)

Master SQL for Job Interview Preparation, Data Analysis, Big Data, and Business Intelligence...

14. Front-End Web Development (Part Time)

Start building responsive websites with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — a versatile skill set with powerful applications in a variety of design, marketing, and other tech-adjacent roles. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

15. JavaScript Development (Part Time)

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...

16. Data Engineer

Learn to design data models, build data warehouses and data lakes, automate data pipelines, and work with massive datasets...

17. iOS Developer

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

18. Learn By Example: Hadoop, MapReduce for Big Data problems

(1,064)

A hands-on workout in Hadoop, Map Reduce and the art of thinking parallel...

19. Master Data Engineering using GCP Data Analytics

4.5

(318)

Learn GCS for Data Lake, Big Query for Data Warehouse, GCP Dataproc and Databricks for Big Data Pipelines...

20. React Development (Part Time)

Expand your JavaScript programming skills, and boost your profile at work — and on the job market. Learn to build sophisticated, scalable web applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

Top 10 most affordable universities for data engineers

The most affordable schools for data engineers are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - bakersfield, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for data 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 data engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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 data engineers

The hardest universities for data engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for data 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 data 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

9. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for data engineers

The easiest schools for data engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and pennsylvania state university - altoona.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

4. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

5. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

6. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

7. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

8. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

9. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

10. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

Average data engineer salary by education level

According to our data, data engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $127,334 annually. Data engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $117,324.

Data engineer education level	Data engineer salary
Master's Degree	$117,324
Bachelor's Degree	$107,460
Doctorate Degree	$127,334

Data engineer education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a data engineer?

What is the best college for Data 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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