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Director of manufacturing engineering education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of manufacturing engineering. Directors of manufacturing engineering usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or business. 71% of directors of manufacturing engineering hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 502 real director of manufacturing engineering resumes to see exactly what director of manufacturing engineering education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of manufacturing engineering are the Milwaukee School of Engineering and the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

There are also many online director of manufacturing engineering courses to help get the education required to be a director of manufacturing engineering.

There are certain director of manufacturing engineering certifications that you should consider. These director of manufacturing engineering certifications include Six Sigma Green Belt and Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Lean Manufacturing.

What education do you need to become a director of manufacturing engineering?

What degree do you need to be a director of manufacturing engineering?

The most common degree for directors of manufacturing engineering is bachelor's degree, with 71% of directors of manufacturing engineering 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, 71%
  • Master's, 17%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a director of manufacturing engineering?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a director of manufacturing engineering. 28% of directors of manufacturing engineering major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a director of manufacturing engineering include electrical engineering and business.

Most common colleges for directors of manufacturing engineering

Directors of manufacturing engineering often get their degrees at Milwaukee School of Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Lawrence Technological University. Here are the most common colleges for directors of manufacturing engineering in the US based on their resumes.
Director of manufacturing engineering common collegePercentages
Milwaukee School of Engineering9.57%
Rochester Institute of Technology7.45%
Lawrence Technological University6.38%
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor5.32%
Kettering University5.32%

Best majors for directors of manufacturing engineering

Best colleges for directors of manufacturing engineering

The best colleges for directors of manufacturing engineering are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A director of manufacturing engineering with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for directors of manufacturing engineering. 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 directors of manufacturing engineering.

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

20 best online courses for directors of manufacturing engineering

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5. Mechanical design and Product development process

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

6. Product Design Management for Agile Practitioners

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Application of product design management principles, concepts, tools and techniques in agile product management...

7. The Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)

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The 18-step process for ensuring new parts are consistently manufactured and meet their customers' quality expectations...

8. VPs and Directors of Product Management: Finding Excellence

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Succeeding in an intense, stressful, invigorating job...

9. Product Management Crash Course; IT Product Management

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17. Product and Service Management

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18. Essential Lean Manufacturing for Management Consultants

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19. Time Management & Personal Productivity Essentials

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of manufacturing engineering

The most affordable schools for directors of manufacturing engineering are United States Merchant Marine Academy, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for directors of manufacturing engineering 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 directors of manufacturing engineering.

1. United States Merchant Marine Academy

Kings Point, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$1,080

Cost of attendance

6,646

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

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. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

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 directors of manufacturing engineering

The hardest universities for directors of manufacturing engineering to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for directors of manufacturing engineering 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 directors of manufacturing engineering 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of manufacturing engineering

The easiest schools for directors of manufacturing engineering to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, the university of texas permian basin, and the university of texas at el paso.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of manufacturing engineering 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 directors of manufacturing engineering.

1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

2. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

3. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

8. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

9. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

10. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois

DuBois, PA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,079

Average director of manufacturing engineering salary by education level

Directors of manufacturing engineering with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $190,153 annually. With a Master's degree, directors of manufacturing engineering earn a median annual income of $175,757 compared to $163,678 for directors of manufacturing engineering with an Bachelor's degree.
Director of manufacturing engineering education levelDirector of manufacturing engineering salary
Master's Degree$175,757
Bachelor's Degree$163,678
Doctorate Degree$190,153

Director of manufacturing engineering 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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