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Hardware engineering internship education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a hardware engineering internship. Hardware engineering interns usually study electrical engineering, computer engineering, or mechanical engineering. 74% of hardware engineering interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,040 real hardware engineering internship resumes to see exactly what hardware engineering internship education sections show.
The most common colleges for hardware engineering interns are the San Jose State University and the San Jose State University.
There are also many online hardware engineering internship courses to help get the education required to be a hardware engineering internship.
What education do you need to become a hardware engineering internship?
What degree do you need to be a hardware engineering internship?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 5%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a hardware engineering internship?
- Computer Engineering, 13%
- Computer Science, 5%
- Other Majors, 23%
Most common colleges for hardware engineering interns
| Hardware engineering internship common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| San Jose State University | 10.00% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 8.57% |
| University of Southern California | 7.14% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.43% |
| Purdue University | 6.43% |
Best majors for hardware engineering interns
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 53.4% |
| 2 | Computer Engineering | 12.5% |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineering | 6.0% |
| 4 | Computer Science | 4.5% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 4.0% |
Best colleges for hardware engineering interns
The best colleges for hardware engineering interns are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A hardware engineering internship 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 engineering interns. 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 engineering interns.
1. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$50,340
Enrollment
5,301
20 best online courses for hardware engineering interns
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17. System Design using Verilog
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19. PCB Design using OrCAD/Allegro from Basics to Expert level
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20. Arduino: Electronics circuit, PCB Design & IOT Programming
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Top 10 most affordable universities for hardware engineering interns
The most affordable schools for hardware engineering interns are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for hardware engineering interns 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 engineering interns.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
9. West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Beckley, WV • Private
In-state tuition
$7,464
Cost of attendance
17,166
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hardware engineering interns
The hardest universities for hardware engineering interns to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for hardware engineering interns 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 engineering interns 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,503
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for hardware engineering interns
The easiest schools for hardware engineering interns to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and south dakota state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hardware engineering internship 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 engineering interns.
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. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
4. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
5. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
6. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
7. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
10. California State University - Chico
Chico, CA • Private
Admissions rate
65%
SAT average
1,092
Average hardware engineering internship salary by education level
| Hardware engineering internship education level | Hardware engineering internship salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $67,103 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,850 |
Hardware engineering internship 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