Electrical controls engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an electrical controls engineer. Electrical controls engineers usually study electrical engineering, electrical engineering technology, or computer engineering. 70% of electrical controls engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,318 real electrical controls engineer resumes to see exactly what electrical controls engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for electrical controls engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

There are also many online electrical controls engineer courses to help get the education required to be an electrical controls engineer.

What education do you need to become an electrical controls engineer?

What degree do you need to be an electrical controls engineer?

The most common degree for electrical controls engineers is bachelor's degree, with 70% of electrical controls engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 70%

Associate, 16%

Master's, 11%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an electrical controls engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become an electrical controls engineer. 59% of electrical controls engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for an electrical controls engineer include electrical engineering technology and computer engineering.

Electrical Engineering, 59%

Electrical Engineering Technology, 14%

Computer Engineering, 3%

Mechanical Engineering, 3%

Other Majors, 21%

Most common colleges for electrical controls engineers

Electrical controls engineers often get their degrees at Purdue University, Michigan Technological University, and Cleveland State University. Here are the most common colleges for electrical controls engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Electrical controls engineer common college	Percentages
Purdue University	13.25%
Michigan Technological University	7.28%
Cleveland State University	7.28%
New Jersey Institute of Technology	7.28%
University of Houston	6.62%

Show more common electrical controls engineer colleges

Best majors for electrical controls engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	59.3%
2	Electrical Engineering Technology	14.1%
3	Computer Engineering	3.2%
4	Mechanical Engineering	2.9%
5	Mechatronics And Robotics	2.9%

Show more common electrical controls engineer majors

Best colleges for electrical controls engineers

The best colleges for electrical controls engineers are Northeastern University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

An electrical controls 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 electrical controls 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 electrical controls engineers.

1. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

2. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$33,950

Enrollment

4,254

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Enrollment

24,841

20 best online courses for electrical controls engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for electrical controls engineers

The most affordable schools for electrical controls engineers are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and inter american university of puerto rico bayamon.

If the best universities for electrical controls 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 electrical controls engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Beckley, WV • Private

In-state tuition

$7,464

Cost of attendance

17,166

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. National University College - Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$6,675

Cost of attendance

12,941

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for electrical controls engineers

The hardest universities for electrical controls engineers to get into are Northeastern University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for electrical controls 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 electrical controls 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

8. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

9. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

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 electrical controls engineers

The easiest schools for electrical controls 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 an electrical controls 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 electrical controls 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. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

5. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

6. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

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. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average electrical controls engineer salary by education level

Electrical controls engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $99,055 annually. With a Master's degree, electrical controls engineers earn a median annual income of $90,215 compared to $80,804 for electrical controls engineers with an Bachelor's degree.

Electrical controls engineer education level	Electrical controls engineer salary
Master's Degree	$90,215
Bachelor's Degree	$80,804
Doctorate Degree	$99,055

Electrical controls engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Electrical Controls Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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