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Director of systems engineering education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a director of systems engineering. Directors of systems engineering usually study electrical engineering, computer science, or business. 69% of directors of systems engineering hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 768 real director of systems engineering resumes to see exactly what director of systems engineering education sections show.
The most common colleges for directors of systems engineering are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online director of systems engineering courses to help get the education required to be a director of systems engineering.
There are certain director of systems engineering certifications that you should consider. These director of systems engineering certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Program Management Professional (PgMP).
What education do you need to become a director of systems engineering?
What degree do you need to be a director of systems engineering?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a director of systems engineering?
- Computer Science, 15%
- Business, 11%
- Other Majors, 41%
Most common colleges for directors of systems engineering
| Director of systems engineering common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 8.87% |
| Purdue University | 7.26% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.45% |
| Northeastern University | 6.45% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.45% |
Best majors for directors of systems engineering
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 25.4% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 15.0% |
| 3 | Business | 11.0% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 8.1% |
| 5 | Computer Information Systems | 4.5% |
Best colleges for directors of systems engineering
The best colleges for directors of systems engineering are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A director of systems 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 systems 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 systems 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
10. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
20 best online courses for directors of systems engineering
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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of systems engineering
The most affordable schools for directors of systems engineering are United States Merchant Marine Academy, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for directors of systems 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 systems 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. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of systems engineering
The hardest universities for directors of systems 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 systems 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 systems 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of systems engineering
The easiest schools for directors of systems engineering to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, the university of texas at el paso, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of systems 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 systems engineering.
1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
2. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
5. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
6. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
7. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
9. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
10. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
Average director of systems engineering salary by education level
| Director of systems engineering education level | Director of systems engineering salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $181,599 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $168,279 |
| Doctorate Degree | $197,558 |
Director of systems engineering education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025