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Graduate engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a graduate engineer. Graduate engineers usually study mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or electrical engineering. 83% of graduate engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,872 real graduate engineer resumes to see exactly what graduate engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for graduate engineers are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.
There are also many online graduate engineer courses to help get the education required to be a graduate engineer.
There are certain graduate engineer certifications that you should consider. These graduate engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Certified Chemical Engineer (CCE).
What education do you need to become a graduate engineer?
What degree do you need to be a graduate engineer?
- Bachelor's, 83%
- Master's, 14%
- Diploma, 2%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become a graduate engineer?
- Civil Engineering, 18%
- Other Majors, 26%
Most common colleges for graduate engineers
| Graduate engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas A&M University | 15.34% |
| University of Houston | 11.11% |
| Lamar University | 6.88% |
| The University of Texas at Arlington | 5.82% |
| Texas A&M University San Antonio | 5.82% |
Best majors for graduate engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 33.7% |
| 2 | Civil Engineering | 17.9% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 16.0% |
| 4 | Chemical Engineering | 5.7% |
| 5 | Engineering | 4.2% |
Best colleges for graduate engineers
The best colleges for graduate engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A graduate 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 graduate 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 graduate engineers.
1. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
2. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Enrollment
24,841
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for graduate engineers
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19. Understanding Engineering Drawings
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Top 10 most affordable universities for graduate engineers
The most affordable schools for graduate engineers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for graduate 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 graduate engineers.
1. United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$1,080
Cost of attendance
6,646
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for graduate engineers
The hardest universities for graduate engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for graduate 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 graduate 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
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. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for graduate engineers
The easiest schools for graduate engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, the university of texas at el paso, and portland state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a graduate 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 graduate engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
3. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
4. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
5. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
6. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
7. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
10. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
Average graduate engineer salary by education level
| Graduate engineer education level | Graduate engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $75,894 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $69,015 |
| Doctorate Degree | $82,336 |
Graduate engineer 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