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Engineering technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an engineering technician. Engineering technicians usually study electrical engineering, electrical engineering technology, or business. 46% of engineering technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 36% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 35,115 real engineering technician resumes to see exactly what engineering technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for engineering technicians are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.
There are also many online engineering technician courses to help get the education required to be an engineering technician.
There are certain engineering technician certifications that you should consider. These engineering technician certifications include Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma) and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).
What education do you need to become an engineering technician?
What degree do you need to be an engineering technician?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Associate, 36%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become an engineering technician?
- Business, 10%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for engineering technicians
| Engineering technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| DeVry University | 13.05% |
| University of Phoenix | 10.93% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.50% |
| Purdue University | 5.37% |
| Austin Community College | 4.93% |
Best majors for engineering technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 23.8% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 10.8% |
| 3 | Business | 9.6% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 8.2% |
| 5 | Drafting And Design | 6.4% |
Best colleges for engineering technicians
The best colleges for engineering technicians are Tufts University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanford University.
An engineering technician 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 technicians. 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 technicians.
1. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
3. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,382
Enrollment
5,597
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,646
Enrollment
5,736
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
9. Central Connecticut State University
New Britain, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$10,616
Enrollment
9,325
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for engineering technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for engineering technicians
The most affordable schools for engineering technicians are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - los angeles, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for engineering technicians 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 technicians.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Beckley, WV • Private
In-state tuition
$7,464
Cost of attendance
17,166
6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. 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
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,194
Cost of attendance
14,934
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for engineering technicians
The hardest universities for engineering technicians to get into are Tufts University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for engineering technicians 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 technicians 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. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for engineering technicians
The easiest schools for engineering technicians to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, indiana state 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 technician 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 technicians.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,019
3. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
4. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
5. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
6. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,062
9. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
10. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
Average engineering technician salary by education level
| Engineering technician education level | Engineering technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $68,404 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $59,762 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,668 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $65,023 |
Engineering technician 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