Enterprise network engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an enterprise network engineer. Enterprise network engineers usually study computer science, electrical engineering, or computer networking. 64% of enterprise network engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 181 real enterprise network engineer resumes to see exactly what enterprise network engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for enterprise network engineers are the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

There are also many online enterprise network engineer courses to help get the education required to be an enterprise network engineer.

What education do you need to become an enterprise network engineer?

What degree do you need to be an enterprise network engineer?

The most common degree for enterprise network engineers is bachelor's degree, with 64% of enterprise network engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 64%

Associate, 20%

Master's, 13%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an enterprise network engineer?

You should major in computer science to become an enterprise network engineer. 20% of enterprise network engineers major in computer science. Other common majors for an enterprise network engineer include electrical engineering and computer networking.

Computer Science, 20%

Electrical Engineering, 19%

Computer Networking, 9%

Computer Information Systems, 8%

Other Majors, 44%

Most common colleges for enterprise network engineers

Enterprise network engineers often get their degrees at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, George Mason University, and University of Kansas. Here are the most common colleges for enterprise network engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Enterprise network engineer common college	Percentages
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	12.12%
George Mason University	12.12%
University of Kansas	6.06%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	6.06%
DeVry University	6.06%

Show more common enterprise network engineer colleges

Best majors for enterprise network engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	20.4%
2	Electrical Engineering	19.4%
3	Computer Networking	9.3%
4	Computer Information Systems	8.3%
5	Business	7.4%

Show more common enterprise network engineer majors

Best colleges for enterprise network engineers

The best colleges for enterprise network engineers are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanford University.

An enterprise network engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for enterprise network engineers. 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 enterprise network engineers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of California, Irvine

Irvine, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,700

Enrollment

29,722

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

8. Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$52,202

Enrollment

3,420

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,880

Enrollment

6,590

20 best online courses for enterprise network engineers

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3. CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure - OSPF

4.6

(311)

Learn OSPF for the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure...

4. Cisco ASA Firewall Training

4.3

(617)

This course will cover functionality , setup, configuration, troubleshooting and Failover of Cisco ASA Firewall...

5. Dynamic VPN Gateways - Cloud Routers

This is a self-paced lab that takes place in the Google Cloud console. In this lab you connect two networks using Cloud Routers. Cloud Routers build on top of VPN by enabling BGP Routing that dynamically discovers changes in network topology and passes updates to peers...

6. CCNP,CCIE Enterprise: ENCOR 350-401 v1.1 Training

4.5

(818)

Learn CCNP,CCIE Enterprise ENCORE v1.1 with Step by Step Notes...

7. CCNA Security Real World Labs - Cisco ASA, Network Security

4.4

(359)

Identify, lock down, and secure vulnerabilities in a small to medium enterprise branch network - real world training...

8. CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure - BGP

4.8

(405)

Learn BGP for the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure Practical Exam...

9. Computer Network Cabling: Ethernet Wiring Infrastructure

4.8

(306)

The Physical Side of Computer Networking; Wire Ethernet Cables from Scratch and Master the Fundamentals of RJ-45 Ports...

10. Design & Deploy an Enterprise WiFi Network

(250)

Design, Deploy, & Maintain a Wi Fi Network for any industry and any building type...

11. Cisco ASA Firewall & VPNs: Beginner to Advanced

4.4

(250)

You will get extensive hands-on experience deploying Cisco ASA 9.x and VPN's...

12. Implementing a Cisco ASA Firewall 9.X - All - in - One

4.8

(1,047)

Implementing a Cisco ASA Firewall 9.X - All - in - One...

13. Ansible for Network Engineers: Quick Start GNS3 & Ansible

4.8

(3,873)

Ansible for Network Engineers with GNS3, Ansible and Cisco IOS. Learn Network Automation & Programmability = the future...

14. Python Network Programming for Network Engineers (Python 3)

4.7

(8,322)

Program networks using Python version 3. Learn network programmability with this practical GNS3 and Cisco course...

15. General Networking - wireless, routers, firewalls, Cisco NAS

4.4

(740)

Port forwarding? Dynamic DNS? Home NAS Server? Slow Wireless? Learn how to fix your home nework. Includes 802.11ac!...

16. Python Programming for Network Engineers: Cisco, Netmiko ++

4.3

(1,300)

Network Programmability and Network Automation using GNS3 and Python for Cisco engineers: Telnet, SSH, Paramiko, Netmiko...

17. CCNP,CCIE Enterprise: ENCOR 350-401 Training Part-1/2

4.6

(377)

Learn CCNP,CCIE Enterprise ENCORE with Step by Step Lab Workbook...

18. CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure - Transport Technologies

4.8

(298)

This course covers Section 3.0, Transport Technologies, for the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure Practical Exam...

19. Cisco ASA AnyConnect VPN

4.6

(713)

Learn how to setup Cisco ASA firewall for Any Connect client vpn solutions...

20. Fundamentals of Network Engineering

4.7

(2,316)

Understanding the first principles of networking to build low latency and high throughput backends...

Top 10 most affordable universities for enterprise network engineers

The most affordable schools for enterprise network engineers are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and clayton state university.

If the best universities for enterprise network engineers 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 enterprise network engineers.

1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - East Bay

Hayward, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,983

Cost of attendance

21,371

6. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce

Mercedita, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,914

Cost of attendance

13,564

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Barranquitas

Barranquitas, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,479

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for enterprise network engineers

The hardest universities for enterprise network engineers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for enterprise network engineers 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 enterprise network engineers 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

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. 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,412

10. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for enterprise network engineers

The easiest schools for enterprise network engineers to get into are Saint Martin's University, nyack college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an enterprise network engineer 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 enterprise network engineers.

1. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,148

9. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average enterprise network engineer salary by education level

According to our data, enterprise network engineers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $93,088 annually. Enterprise network engineers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $90,124.

Enterprise network engineer education level	Enterprise network engineer salary
Master's Degree	$93,088
High School Diploma or Less	$81,393
Bachelor's Degree	$90,124
Some College/ Associate Degree	$82,349

Enterprise network engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Enterprise Network Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical 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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