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Engineering technical writer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an engineering technical writer. Engineering technical writers usually study business, electrical engineering, or computer science. 68% of engineering technical writers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 785 real engineering technical writer resumes to see exactly what engineering technical writer education sections show.
The most common colleges for engineering technical writers are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online engineering technical writer courses to help get the education required to be an engineering technical writer.
There are certain engineering technical writer certifications that you should consider. These engineering technical writer certifications include Certified Technical Professional (CTP) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become an engineering technical writer?
What degree do you need to be an engineering technical writer?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Associate, 18%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an engineering technical writer?
- Business, 13%
- Computer Science, 11%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for engineering technical writers
| Engineering technical writer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 9.41% |
| Northeastern University | 8.24% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 8.24% |
| Purdue University | 7.06% |
| University of Florida | 5.88% |
Best majors for engineering technical writers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 13.1% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 12.3% |
| 3 | Computer Science | 10.6% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 7.8% |
| 5 | English | 6.1% |
Best colleges for engineering technical writers
The best colleges for engineering technical writers are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Washington University in St Louis.
An engineering technical writer 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 technical writers. 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 technical writers.
1. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
20 best online courses for engineering technical writers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for engineering technical writers
The most affordable schools for engineering technical writers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for engineering technical writers 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 technical writers.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
9. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for engineering technical writers
The hardest universities for engineering technical writers to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for engineering technical writers 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 technical writers 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for engineering technical writers
The easiest schools for engineering technical writers to get into are Saint Joseph's College of Maine, kean university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an engineering technical writer 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 technical writers.
1. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
5. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
6. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
9. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average engineering technical writer salary by education level
| Engineering technical writer education level | Engineering technical writer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $67,741 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $68,135 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025