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Engineering associate education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an engineering associate. Engineering associates usually study electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or civil engineering. 69% of engineering associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 6,132 real engineering associate resumes to see exactly what engineering associate education sections show.
The most common colleges for engineering associates are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online engineering associate courses to help get the education required to be an engineering associate.
There are certain engineering associate certifications that you should consider. These engineering associate certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Six Sigma Green Belt.
What education do you need to become an engineering associate?
What degree do you need to be an engineering associate?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 9%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an engineering associate?
- Civil Engineering, 13%
- Other Majors, 41%
Most common colleges for engineering associates
| Engineering associate common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.67% |
| Purdue University | 7.67% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.04% |
| DeVry University | 5.95% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.63% |
Best majors for engineering associates
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 21.6% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 18.0% |
| 3 | Civil Engineering | 12.6% |
| 4 | Chemical Engineering | 6.1% |
| 5 | Business | 6.0% |
Best colleges for engineering associates
The best colleges for engineering associates are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.
An engineering associate 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 associates. 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 associates.
1. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
20 best online courses for engineering associates
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Top 10 most affordable universities for engineering associates
The most affordable schools for engineering associates are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for engineering associates 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 associates.
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. 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
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for engineering associates
The hardest universities for engineering associates to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for engineering associates 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 associates 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for engineering associates
The easiest schools for engineering associates to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, oklahoma wesleyan university, and texas a&m; university - kingsville.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an engineering associate 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 associates.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
7. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average engineering associate salary by education level
| Engineering associate education level | Engineering associate salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $68,702 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $69,750 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $70,224 |
Engineering associate 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