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Engineer of system development education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an engineer of system development. Engineers of system development usually study electrical engineering, computer science, or mechanical engineering. 74% of engineers of system development hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 947 real engineer of system development resumes to see exactly what engineer of system development education sections show.

The most common colleges for engineers of system development are the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Rochester Institute of Technology.

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

What education do you need to become an engineer of system development?

What degree do you need to be an engineer of system development?

The most common degree for engineers of system development is bachelor's degree, with 74% of engineers of system development earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 74%
  • Master's, 15%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an engineer of system development?

You should major in electrical engineering to become an engineer of system development. 22% of engineers of system development major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for an engineer of system development include computer science and mechanical engineering.

Most common colleges for engineers of system development

Engineers of system development often get their degrees at Rochester Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Wayne State University. Here are the most common colleges for engineers of system development in the US based on their resumes.
Engineer of system development common collegePercentages
Rochester Institute of Technology9.09%
Georgia Institute of Technology6.61%
Wayne State University5.79%
University of Akron5.79%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro5.79%

Best majors for engineers of system development

Best colleges for engineers of system development

The best colleges for engineers of system development are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

An engineer of system development with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for engineers of system development. 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 engineers of system development.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

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 engineers of system development

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Top 10 most affordable universities for engineers of system development

The most affordable schools for engineers of system development are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for engineers of system development 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 engineers of system development.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. 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

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for engineers of system development

The hardest universities for engineers of system development to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for engineers of system development 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 engineers of system development 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for engineers of system development

The easiest schools for engineers of system development to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and oregon institute of technology.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an engineer of system development 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 engineers of system development.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

4. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

5. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

8. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

9. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average engineer of system development salary by education level

According to our data, engineers of system development with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $130,304 annually. Engineers of system development with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $120,195.
Engineer of system development education levelEngineer of system development salary
Master's Degree$120,195
Bachelor's Degree$110,221
Doctorate Degree$130,304

Engineer of system development 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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