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Hardware engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a hardware engineer. Hardware engineers usually study electrical engineering, computer engineering, or electrical engineering technology. 69% of hardware engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,673 real hardware engineer resumes to see exactly what hardware engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for hardware engineers are the San Jose State University and the San Jose State University.
There are also many online hardware engineer courses to help get the education required to be a hardware engineer.
There are certain hardware engineer certifications that you should consider. These hardware engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Software Engineering Management Associate Engineer.
What education do you need to become a hardware engineer?
What degree do you need to be a hardware engineer?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 9%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a hardware engineer?
- Computer Engineering, 10%
- Other Majors, 21%
Most common colleges for hardware engineers
| Hardware engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| San Jose State University | 13.35% |
| University of Southern California | 7.26% |
| Northeastern University | 7.26% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 6.79% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.32% |
Best majors for hardware engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 57.7% |
| 2 | Computer Engineering | 9.8% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 6.4% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 5.1% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 4.7% |
Best colleges for hardware engineers
The best colleges for hardware engineers are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A hardware 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 hardware 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 hardware engineers.
1. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
3. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Enrollment
24,841
7. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,785
Enrollment
7,711
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
10. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$11,870
Enrollment
53,194
20 best online courses for hardware engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for hardware engineers
The most affordable schools for hardware engineers are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for hardware 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 hardware engineers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Beckley, WV • Private
In-state tuition
$7,464
Cost of attendance
17,166
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hardware engineers
The hardest universities for hardware engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for hardware 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 hardware 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,503
7. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
10. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for hardware engineers
The easiest schools for hardware engineers to get into are Capitol Technology University, oregon institute of technology, and south dakota state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hardware 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 hardware engineers.
1. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
2. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
3. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
4. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona
Altoona, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,094
5. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
6. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
7. Suffolk University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,131
8. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
9. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
10. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
Average hardware engineer salary by education level
| Hardware engineer education level | Hardware engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $112,013 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $102,574 |
Hardware 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