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Engineering assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an engineering assistant. Engineering assistants usually study business, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering. 56% of engineering assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 14,464 real engineering assistant resumes to see exactly what engineering assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for engineering assistants are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online engineering assistant courses to help get the education required to be an engineering assistant.

There are certain engineering assistant certifications that you should consider. These engineering assistant certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Certified Audio Engineer (CEA).

What education do you need to become an engineering assistant?

What degree do you need to be an engineering assistant?

The most common degree for engineering assistants is bachelor's degree, with 56% of engineering assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 23% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 56%
  • Associate, 23%
  • High School Diploma, 9%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become an engineering assistant?

You should major in business to become an engineering assistant. 15% of engineering assistants major in business. Other common majors for an engineering assistant include electrical engineering and mechanical engineering.

Most common colleges for engineering assistants

Engineering assistants often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Texas A&M; University, and Drexel University. Here are the most common colleges for engineering assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Engineering assistant common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix10.48%
Texas A&M University8.22%
Drexel University6.94%
Northeastern University5.38%
San Jose State University5.24%

Best majors for engineering assistants

Best colleges for engineering assistants

The best colleges for engineering assistants are Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, and Stanford University.

An engineering assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for engineering assistants. 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 engineering assistants.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

9. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for engineering assistants

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Engineering Solid Mechanics / Engineering Statics...

18. Understanding Engineering Drawings

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Top 10 most affordable universities for engineering assistants

The most affordable schools for engineering assistants are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and california state university - los angeles.

If the best universities for engineering assistants 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 engineering assistants.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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 Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for engineering assistants

The hardest universities for engineering assistants to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for engineering assistants 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 engineering assistants 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for engineering assistants

The easiest schools for engineering assistants to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, oregon institute of technology, and the university of texas permian basin.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an engineering assistant 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 engineering assistants.

1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

2. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

3. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

4. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois

DuBois, PA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,079

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Indiana State University

Terre Haute, IN • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,019

Average engineering assistant salary by education level

Engineering assistants with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $72,321 annually. With a Associate degree, engineering assistants earn a median annual income of $69,038 compared to $67,718 for engineering assistants with an Bachelor's degree.
Engineering assistant education levelEngineering assistant salary
Master's Degree$72,321
High School Diploma or Less$63,901
Bachelor's Degree$67,718
Some College/ Associate Degree$69,038

Engineering assistant 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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