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Electrical/mechanical designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an electrical/mechanical designer. Electrical/mechanical designers usually study drafting and design, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering. 56% of electrical/mechanical designers hold a associate degree, and 26% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 431 real electrical/mechanical designer resumes to see exactly what electrical/mechanical designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for electrical/mechanical designers are the Drexel University and the Drexel University.
There are also many online electrical/mechanical designer courses to help get the education required to be an electrical/mechanical designer.
What education do you need to become an electrical/mechanical designer?
What degree do you need to be an electrical/mechanical designer?
- Associate, 56%
- Bachelor's, 26%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become an electrical/mechanical designer?
- Drafting And Design, 39%
- Engineering, 6%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for electrical/mechanical designers
| Electrical/mechanical designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Drexel University | 11.90% |
| Austin Community College | 9.52% |
| University of Houston | 7.14% |
| University of Portland | 7.14% |
| Purdue University | 4.76% |
Best majors for electrical/mechanical designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drafting And Design | 38.8% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 10.4% |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineering | 9.5% |
| 4 | Engineering | 6.0% |
| 5 | Mechanical Engineering Technology | 3.5% |
Best colleges for electrical/mechanical designers
The best colleges for electrical/mechanical designers are Rochester Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, and Southern Utah University.
An electrical/mechanical designer 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/mechanical designers. 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/mechanical designers.
1. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
2. Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$47,646
Enrollment
2,924
3. LeTourneau University
Longview, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$30,210
Enrollment
1,771
4. Dunwoody College of Technology
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$22,046
Enrollment
1,294
5. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,570
Enrollment
3,721
20 best online courses for electrical/mechanical designers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for electrical/mechanical designers
The most affordable schools for electrical/mechanical designers are Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, inter american university of puerto rico aguadilla, and southern utah university.
If the best universities for electrical/mechanical designers 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/mechanical designers.
1. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Tifton, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$3,503
Cost of attendance
12,843
2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla
Aguadilla, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,902
Cost of attendance
13,284
3. Southern Utah University
Cedar City, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$6,770
Cost of attendance
19,636
4. New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,120
Cost of attendance
13,997
5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German
San German, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
14,322
6. University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,633
Cost of attendance
19,235
7. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,570
Cost of attendance
23,713
8. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,360
Cost of attendance
23,486
9. Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,032
Cost of attendance
17,711
10. Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$11,788
Cost of attendance
22,715
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for electrical/mechanical designers
The hardest universities for electrical/mechanical designers to get into are Rochester Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, and Southern Utah University.
Some great schools for electrical/mechanical designers 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/mechanical designers 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. Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
66%
SAT average
1,319
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. Southern Utah University
Cedar City, UT • Private
Admissions rate
79%
SAT average
1,183
4. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY • Private
Admissions rate
63%
SAT average
1,071
5. University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
1,120
6. Kent State University
Kent, OH • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,131
7. Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,107
8. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY • Private
Admissions rate
64%
SAT average
1,011
9. Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,070
10. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for electrical/mechanical designers
The easiest schools for electrical/mechanical designers to get into are SUNY College of Technology at Delhi, suny college of technology at alfred, and kent state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an electrical/mechanical designer 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/mechanical designers.
1. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY • Private
Admissions rate
64%
SAT average
1,011
2. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY • Private
Admissions rate
63%
SAT average
1,071
3. Kent State University
Kent, OH • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,131
4. Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,107
5. Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,070
6. Southern Utah University
Cedar City, UT • Private
Admissions rate
79%
SAT average
1,183
7. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
8. University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
1,120
9. SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology at Morrisville
Morrisville, NY • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
955
10. Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
66%
SAT average
1,319
Average electrical/mechanical designer salary by education level
| Electrical/mechanical designer education level | Electrical/mechanical designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $68,214 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,114 |
| Doctorate Degree | $74,965 |
Electrical/mechanical designer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025