Post job

Developer support engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a developer support engineer. Developer support engineers usually study computer science, electrical engineering, or computer engineering. 69% of developer support engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 854 real developer support engineer resumes to see exactly what developer support engineer education sections show.

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

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

What education do you need to become a developer support engineer?

What degree do you need to be a developer support engineer?

The most common degree for developer support engineers is bachelor's degree, with 69% of developer support engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 69%
  • Master's, 17%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a developer support engineer?

You should major in computer science to become a developer support engineer. 29% of developer support engineers major in computer science. Other common majors for a developer support engineer include electrical engineering and computer engineering.

Most common colleges for developer support engineers

Developer support engineers often get their degrees at Texas A&M; University, Boston University, and Brigham Young University. Here are the most common colleges for developer support engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Developer support engineer common collegePercentages
Texas A&M University11.70%
Boston University6.38%
Brigham Young University6.38%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.38%
University of Washington5.32%

Best majors for developer support engineers

Best colleges for developer support engineers

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

A developer support 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 developer support 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 developer support 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 developer support engineers

Advertising disclosure

1. Software Engineering Immersive (Full-time)

general_assembly

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)

general_assembly

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

udacity

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

4. Full Stack Web Developer

udacity

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. Introduction to Technical Support

coursera

Technical Support professionals are in great demand! This is the first course in the IBM IT Support Professional Certificate program, designed to prepare you for a rewarding career in technical support. You will begin this self-paced course by learning what Informational Technology (IT) support is all about. You'll find out the roles and responsibilities of Technical Support professionals and become familiar with all the different career paths you can take in Technical Support. You will also...

6. Full Stack Web Development with C# OOP, MS SQL & ASP.NET MVC

udemy
4.4
(918)

Web development with C#, ASP.NET MVC, MS SQL, C# OOP. All gathered for full stack web development in one course!...

7. IT Support Technical Skills Bootcamp

udemy
4.5
(1,653)

Hands-on Technical skills for IT Support Professionals...

8. Data Science (Part Time)

general_assembly

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)

general_assembly

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

udacity

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

udacity

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. Ultimate ASP.NET Core Web API Development Guide

udemy
4.6
(1,442)

Learn how to create a maintainable Web API using ASP.NET Core, Entity Framework and Enterprise Level Design Patterns...

13. C# Console and Windows Forms Development w/ Entity Framework

udemy
4.5
(987)

C# .NET Core Console Programming Windows Forms Data-driven development OOP Git Hub SQL Entity Framework...

14. Front-End Web Development (Part Time)

general_assembly

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)

general_assembly

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

udacity

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

17. iOS Developer

udacity

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

18. IT & Technical Support Guide to Helpdesk, Desktop & Servers

udemy
4.2
(1,138)

Learn how the different levels of IT technical support work, from service desk to infrastructure and server support...

19. IT Support Technical Skills Helpdesk

udemy
4.7
(1,561)

Hands-on Technical skills for IT Support Learners...

20. React Development (Part Time)

general_assembly

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 developer support engineers

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

If the best universities for developer support 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 developer support 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 developer support engineers

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

Some great schools for developer support 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 developer support 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

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

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

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

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

7%

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

8%

SAT average

1,492

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for developer support engineers

The easiest schools for developer support 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 developer support 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 developer support 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 developer support engineer salary by education level

According to our data, developer support engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $126,340 annually. Developer support engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $117,711.
Developer support engineer education levelDeveloper support engineer salary
Master's Degree$117,711
Bachelor's Degree$109,109
Doctorate Degree$126,340

Developer support engineer education FAQs

Search for developer support engineer 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 computer and mathematical jobs