Field electrical engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a field electrical engineer. Field electrical engineers usually study electrical engineering, electrical engineering technology, or business. 68% of field electrical engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 739 real field electrical engineer resumes to see exactly what field electrical engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for field electrical engineers are the Michigan Technological University and the Michigan Technological University.

There are also many online field electrical engineer courses to help get the education required to be a field electrical engineer.

There are certain field electrical engineer certifications that you should consider. These field electrical engineer certifications include Electrical Technician Certification and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).

What education do you need to become a field electrical engineer?

What degree do you need to be a field electrical engineer?

The most common degree for field electrical engineers is bachelor's degree, with 68% of field electrical engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 68%

Associate, 15%

Master's, 6%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a field electrical engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a field electrical engineer. 54% of field electrical engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a field electrical engineer include electrical engineering technology and business.

Electrical Engineering, 54%

Electrical Engineering Technology, 13%

Business, 6%

Engineering, 4%

Other Majors, 23%

Most common colleges for field electrical engineers

Field electrical engineers often get their degrees at Michigan Technological University, University of Houston, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for field electrical engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Field electrical engineer common college	Percentages
Michigan Technological University	12.12%
University of Houston	10.61%
University of Phoenix	9.09%
Louisiana Tech University	4.55%
The University of Alabama	4.55%

Show more common field electrical engineer colleges

Best majors for field electrical engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	54.4%
2	Electrical Engineering Technology	12.7%
3	Business	5.9%
4	Engineering	4.3%
5	General Studies	2.7%

Show more common field electrical engineer majors

Best colleges for field electrical engineers

The best colleges for field electrical engineers are Northeastern University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A field electrical 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 field electrical 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 field electrical engineers.

1. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

2. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$33,950

Enrollment

4,254

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Enrollment

24,841

20 best online courses for field electrical engineers

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20. Ultimate Electric Circuits Masterclass for Beginners

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Top 10 most affordable universities for field electrical engineers

The most affordable schools for field electrical engineers are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and inter american university of puerto rico bayamon.

If the best universities for field electrical 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 field electrical engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Beckley, WV • Private

In-state tuition

$7,464

Cost of attendance

17,166

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. National University College - Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$6,675

Cost of attendance

12,941

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for field electrical engineers

The hardest universities for field electrical engineers to get into are Northeastern University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for field electrical 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 field electrical 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

8. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

9. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for field electrical engineers

The easiest schools for field electrical engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and pennsylvania state university - altoona.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a field electrical 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 field electrical engineers.

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. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

4. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

5. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

6. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

7. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

8. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

9. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average field electrical engineer salary by education level

Field electrical engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $101,921 annually. With a Master's degree, field electrical engineers earn a median annual income of $93,542 compared to $84,547 for field electrical engineers with an Bachelor's degree.

Field electrical engineer education level	Field electrical engineer salary
Master's Degree	$93,542
Bachelor's Degree	$84,547
Doctorate Degree	$101,921

Field electrical engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Field Electrical Engineers?

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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