Post job

Design engineer internship education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a design engineer internship. Design engineer interns usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or civil engineering. 78% of design engineer interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,237 real design engineer internship resumes to see exactly what design engineer internship education sections show.

The most common colleges for design engineer interns are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

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

There are certain design engineer internship certifications that you should consider. These design engineer internship certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Six Sigma Yellow Belt.

What education do you need to become a design engineer internship?

What degree do you need to be a design engineer internship?

The most common degree for design engineer interns is bachelor's degree, with 78% of design engineer interns earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 78%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a design engineer internship?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a design engineer internship. 49% of design engineer interns major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a design engineer internship include electrical engineering and civil engineering.

Most common colleges for design engineer interns

Design engineer interns often get their degrees at Purdue University, University of California, Santa Barbara, and University of Illinois at Chicago. Here are the most common colleges for design engineer interns in the US based on their resumes.
Design engineer internship common collegePercentages
Purdue University8.77%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.43%
University of Illinois at Chicago6.43%
Ohio State University5.85%
Texas A&M University5.56%

Best majors for design engineer interns

Best colleges for design engineer interns

The best colleges for design engineer interns are Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A design engineer internship with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for design engineer interns. 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 design engineer interns.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for design engineer interns

Advertising disclosure

1. Engineering and Product Design Processes

coursera

Welcome to “Engineering and Product Design Processes!” In this short course, you will learn how engineering design processes and product design processes are carried out. After the course, you will be familiar with the steps in both design processes. You will also be familiar with the main goal of each design process, as well as their similarities and differences...

2. Automotive product design using CATIA V5

udemy
4.4
(624)

Automotive domain design using CATIA, interior and exterior trims on CATIA, Plastic product design in Automotive sector...

3. Pro Engineer Creo Fundamental 3D design course

udemy
4.3
(1,044)

Learn fundamentals of creo parametric from scratch including part design,drawing,assembly...

4. Complete Eagle CAD PCB Design: Theory and Practical approach

udemy
4.4
(270)

Complete PCB Design Course for Freshers & Professionals...

5. Learning SOLIDWORKS: For Students, Engineers, and Designers

udemy
4.4
(2,712)

For Basic and Intermediate Users...

6. Mechanical design and Product development process

udemy
4.2
(604)

Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...

7. Complete Course in CATIA

udemy
4.4
(674)

For Students, Engineers, and Designers...

8. Basics of Sheet metal design for Mechanical design engineers

udemy
4.3
(793)

Learn Sheet metal design, processes and practical design considerations along with Design projects...

9. Introduction to Automotive Product Design & development

udemy
4.4
(648)

Learn about the process, milestones and activities from idea to complete design of cars for Automotive engineers...

10. Ansys Workbench - Analysis Engineering Training Program

udemy
4.3
(568)

If you want to be an Analysis Engineer with Ansys Workbench join this Course !...

11. Crash Course Electronics and PCB Design

udemy
4.7
(13,353)

Learn Electronics and PCB Design from the Ground up with Altium Circuit Maker and Labcenter Proteus...

12. PCB Design using OrCAD/Allegro from Basics to Expert level

udemy
4.4
(480)

Learn Or CAD/Allegro PCB Design: Schematic (Or CAD Capture), Footprint's (Package Editor) & Board Design(PCB Editor)...

13. Master Digital Product Design: UX Research & UI Design

udemy
4.6
(8,540)

A complete design education for product designers: Research the user experience, then design a great user interface...

14. Product Development & Systems Engineering

udemy
4.6
(3,086)

The complete Product Development & Systems Engineering course! Earn 25 contact hours AND prepare to take the INCOSE Exam...

15. Catia V5 Electrical Harness Design - Automotive & Industrial

udemy
4.6
(676)

Learn Catia V5 from a design engineer with more la 18 years experience in automotive, racing and industrial design...

16. Ultimate Guide to Product Design: Design Thinking Approach

udemy
4.1
(1,005)

Uncover the Secrets of Successful Products for Outstanding User Experience. Design unique product that your users love!...

17. Designing PCB using Autodesk Eagle for Everyone!

udemy
4.5
(339)

in this course you will learn step by step how to use and design your own PCB using the latest version of Autodesk EAGLE...

18. Basics of Material selection for mechanical design engineers

udemy
4.4
(542)

Learn about the fundamentals of materials and their selection for mechanical engineering design for design engineers...

19. ANSYS Training: An Easy Introduction with Applications

udemy
4.5
(1,863)

Essential training on solving Engineering Problems from start by using Ansys workbench with examples...

20. Unreal Engine: Intro to Game Design

udemy
4.5
(840)

Like Fortnite? Master the tools used to build it as we build a simple shooting gallery game using the Unreal Engine!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for design engineer interns

The most affordable schools for design engineer interns are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and florida state university.

If the best universities for design engineer interns 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 design engineer interns.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

5. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for design engineer interns

The hardest universities for design engineer interns to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for design engineer interns 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 design engineer interns 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,566

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for design engineer interns

The easiest schools for design engineer interns to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, south dakota state university, and alabama a & m university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a design engineer internship 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 design engineer interns.

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. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

4. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

5. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

6. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

7. California State University - Chico

Chico, CA • Private

Admissions rate

65%

SAT average

1,092

8. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

9. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

10. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

Average design engineer internship salary by education level

According to our data, design engineer interns with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $69,010 annually. Design engineer interns with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $62,975.
Design engineer internship education levelDesign engineer internship salary
Master's Degree$62,975
Bachelor's Degree$54,696
Doctorate Degree$69,010

Design engineer internship education FAQs

Search for design engineer internship jobs

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.

Browse architecture and engineering jobs