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Design engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a design engineer. Design engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or civil engineering. 72% of design engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 39,318 real design engineer resumes to see exactly what design engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for design engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online design engineer courses to help get the education required to be a design engineer.
There are certain design engineer certifications that you should consider. These design engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Certified Agile Developer (CAD).
What education do you need to become a design engineer?
What degree do you need to be a design engineer?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Associate, 12%
- Master's, 12%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a design engineer?
- Other Majors, 31%
Most common colleges for design engineers
| Design engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 11.70% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 8.05% |
| Texas A&M University | 7.24% |
| Ohio State University | 5.56% |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 5.01% |
Best majors for design engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 37.2% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 16.8% |
| 3 | Civil Engineering | 8.1% |
| 4 | Drafting And Design | 6.6% |
| 5 | Engineering | 4.5% |
Best colleges for design engineers
The best colleges for design engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.
A design 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 design 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 design engineers.
1. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,646
Enrollment
5,736
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. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
20 best online courses for design engineers
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Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...
3. Automotive product design using CATIA V5
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4. Basics of Sheet metal design for Mechanical design engineers
Learn Sheet metal design, processes and practical design considerations along with Design projects...
5. Complete Course in CATIA
For Students, Engineers, and Designers...
6. Product Design Management for Agile Practitioners
Application of product design management principles, concepts, tools and techniques in agile product management...
7. Complete Eagle CAD PCB Design: Theory and Practical approach
Complete PCB Design Course for Freshers & Professionals...
8. Introduction to Automotive Product Design & development
Learn about the process, milestones and activities from idea to complete design of cars for Automotive engineers...
9. Master Digital Product Design: UX Research & UI Design
A complete design education for product designers: Research the user experience, then design a great user interface...
10. Basics of Material selection for mechanical design engineers
Learn about the fundamentals of materials and their selection for mechanical engineering design for design engineers...
11. Ultimate Guide to Product Design: Design Thinking Approach
Uncover the Secrets of Successful Products for Outstanding User Experience. Design unique product that your users love!...
12. Learning SOLIDWORKS: For Students, Engineers, and Designers
For Basic and Intermediate Users...
13. Product Development & Systems Engineering
The complete Product Development & Systems Engineering course! Earn 25 contact hours AND prepare to take the INCOSE Exam...
14. PCB Design using OrCAD/Allegro from Basics to Expert level
Learn Or CAD/Allegro PCB Design: Schematic (Or CAD Capture), Footprint's (Package Editor) & Board Design(PCB Editor)...
15. Crash Course Electronics and PCB Design
Learn Electronics and PCB Design from the Ground up with Altium Circuit Maker and Labcenter Proteus...
16. Pro Engineer Creo Fundamental 3D design course
Learn fundamentals of creo parametric from scratch including part design,drawing,assembly...
17. Catia V5 Electrical Harness Design - Automotive & Industrial
Learn Catia V5 from a design engineer with more la 18 years experience in automotive, racing and industrial design...
18. Manufacturing Guide for Mechanical Product Development
Learn how everyday physical products are manufactured with no prior experience in engineering...
19. Unreal Engine: Intro to Game Design
Like Fortnite? Master the tools used to build it as we build a simple shooting gallery game using the Unreal Engine!...
20. UX Fundamentals: Practical Usability for Product Design
Avoid common mistakes in product design by learning usability principles and analysing tens of real-life examples...
Top 10 most affordable universities for design engineers
The most affordable schools for design engineers are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.
If the best universities for design 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 design engineers.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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 design engineers
The hardest universities for design engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.
Some great schools for design 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 design 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
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 design engineers
The easiest schools for design engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and pennsylvania state university - berks.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a design 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 design 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 - Berks
Reading, PA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,107
4. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,068
5. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
6. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
7. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
8. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
9. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona
Altoona, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,094
10. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
Average design engineer salary by education level
| Design engineer education level | Design engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $85,544 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $76,407 |
| Doctorate Degree | $92,052 |
Design engineer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025