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Diesel engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a diesel engineer. Diesel engineers usually study mechanical engineering, engineering, or business. 49% of diesel engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 147 real diesel engineer resumes to see exactly what diesel engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for diesel engineers are the Maine Maritime Academy and the Maine Maritime Academy.

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

What education do you need to become a diesel engineer?

What degree do you need to be a diesel engineer?

The most common degree for diesel engineers is bachelor's degree, with 49% of diesel engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 24% and high school diploma degree at 15%.
  • Bachelor's, 49%
  • High School Diploma, 24%
  • Master's, 15%
  • Associate, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a diesel engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a diesel engineer. 34% of diesel engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a diesel engineer include engineering and business.

Most common colleges for diesel engineers

Diesel engineers often get their degrees at Maine Maritime Academy, Purdue University, and Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Here are the most common colleges for diesel engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Diesel engineer common collegePercentages
Maine Maritime Academy10.71%
Purdue University7.14%
Massachusetts Maritime Academy7.14%
Carnegie Mellon University7.14%
Minnesota State University - Mankato7.14%

Best majors for diesel engineers

Best colleges for diesel engineers

The best colleges for diesel engineers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A diesel 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 diesel 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 diesel engineers.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

5. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

6. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,880

Enrollment

6,590

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for diesel engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for diesel engineers

The most affordable schools for diesel engineers are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for diesel 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 diesel engineers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for diesel engineers

The hardest universities for diesel engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for diesel 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 diesel 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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

The easiest schools for diesel engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, the university of texas permian basin, and notre dame college.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

8. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

Average diesel engineer salary by education level

Diesel engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $126,429 annually. With a Master's degree, diesel engineers earn a median annual income of $114,942 compared to $99,257 for diesel engineers with an Bachelor's degree.
Diesel engineer education levelDiesel engineer salary
Master's Degree$114,942
Bachelor's Degree$99,257
Doctorate Degree$126,429

Diesel engineer education FAQs

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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.

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