Energy engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an energy engineer. Energy engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or chemical engineering. 73% of energy engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 895 real energy engineer resumes to see exactly what energy engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for energy engineers are the University of Dayton and the University of Dayton.

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

There are certain energy engineer certifications that you should consider. These energy engineer certifications include Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).

What education do you need to become an energy engineer?

What degree do you need to be an energy engineer?

The most common degree for energy engineers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of energy engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 73%

Master's, 20%

Associate, 5%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become an energy engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become an energy engineer. 48% of energy engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for an energy engineer include electrical engineering and chemical engineering.

Mechanical Engineering, 48%

Electrical Engineering, 11%

Chemical Engineering, 6%

Legal Research And Advanced Professional Studies, 5%

Other Majors, 30%

Most common colleges for energy engineers

Energy engineers often get their degrees at University of Dayton, Pennsylvania State University, and Northeastern University. Here are the most common colleges for energy engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Energy engineer common college	Percentages
University of Dayton	10.14%
Pennsylvania State University	8.78%
Northeastern University	7.43%
University of Florida	6.76%
Purdue University	6.08%

Show more common energy engineer colleges

Best majors for energy engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	47.6%
2	Electrical Engineering	11.5%
3	Chemical Engineering	6.0%
4	Legal Research And Advanced Professional Studies	4.7%
5	Engineering	4.0%

Show more common energy engineer majors

Best colleges for energy engineers

The best colleges for energy engineers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

An energy 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 energy 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 energy engineers.

1. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

4. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

5. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

20 best online courses for energy engineers

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19. Cost Accounting: Introduction to Management Accounting

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20. Mechanics / Statics - Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

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Engineering Solid Mechanics / Engineering Statics...

Top 10 most affordable universities for energy engineers

The most affordable schools for energy engineers are University of Florida, brigham young university, and florida international university.

If the best universities for energy 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 energy engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. University of Utah

Salt Lake City, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$9,222

Cost of attendance

20,422

6. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Cost of attendance

25,228

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

10. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Cost of attendance

28,501

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for energy engineers

The hardest universities for energy engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for energy 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 energy 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

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

The easiest schools for energy engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, saint martin's university, and cleveland state university.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

3. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

4. University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,050

5. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

6. Western New England University

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,160

7. Widener University

Chester, PA • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,115

8. Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,111

9. University of Nevada - Las Vegas

Las Vegas, NV • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,113

10. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

Average energy engineer salary by education level

According to our data, energy engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $104,946 annually. Energy engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $95,103.

Energy engineer education level	Energy engineer salary
Master's Degree	$95,103
Bachelor's Degree	$84,797
Doctorate Degree	$104,946

Energy engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Energy Engineers?

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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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