Engineering scientist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an engineering scientist. Engineering scientists usually study electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or aerospace engineering. 72% of engineering scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,074 real engineering scientist resumes to see exactly what engineering scientist education sections show.

The most common colleges for engineering scientists are the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Austin.

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

There are certain engineering scientist certifications that you should consider. These engineering scientist certifications include Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) and Engineering Management Certification Fundamentals (EMCF).

What education do you need to become an engineering scientist?

What degree do you need to be an engineering scientist?

The most common degree for engineering scientists is bachelor's degree, with 72% of engineering scientists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 72%

Master's, 16%

Associate, 6%

Doctorate, 5%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become an engineering scientist?

You should major in electrical engineering to become an engineering scientist. 22% of engineering scientists major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for an engineering scientist include mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering.

Electrical Engineering, 22%

Mechanical Engineering, 17%

Aerospace Engineering, 7%

Computer Science, 7%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for engineering scientists

Engineering scientists often get their degrees at University of Texas at Austin, University of California, Santa Barbara, and California State University - San Bernardino. Here are the most common colleges for engineering scientists in the US based on their resumes.

Engineering scientist common college	Percentages
University of Texas at Austin	17.54%
University of California, Santa Barbara	7.58%
California State University - San Bernardino	6.64%
Pennsylvania State University	6.16%
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler	6.16%

Show more common engineering scientist colleges

Best majors for engineering scientists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	22.4%
2	Mechanical Engineering	16.6%
3	Aerospace Engineering	7.1%
4	Computer Science	6.7%
5	Physics	5.9%

Show more common engineering scientist majors

Best colleges for engineering scientists

The best colleges for engineering scientists are California Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, and Stanford University.

An engineering scientist 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 scientists. 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 scientists.

1. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

2. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

20 best online courses for engineering scientists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for engineering scientists

The most affordable schools for engineering scientists are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and california state polytechnic university, pomona.

If the best universities for engineering scientists 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 scientists.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for engineering scientists

The hardest universities for engineering scientists to get into are California Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for engineering scientists 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 scientists 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. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

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

The easiest schools for engineering scientists to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and cleveland state university.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

4. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

5. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

6. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

7. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

8. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

9. Wichita State University

Wichita, KS • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,152

10. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

Average engineering scientist salary by education level

Engineering scientists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $99,755 annually. With a Master's degree, engineering scientists earn a median annual income of $95,322 compared to $87,989 for engineering scientists with an Bachelor's degree.

Engineering scientist education level	Engineering scientist salary
Master's Degree	$95,322
Bachelor's Degree	$87,989
Doctorate Degree	$99,755

Engineering scientist education FAQs

What is the best college for Engineering Scientists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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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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