Hardware test engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a hardware test engineer. Hardware test engineers usually study electrical engineering, computer science, or computer engineering. 67% of hardware test engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 673 real hardware test engineer resumes to see exactly what hardware test engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for hardware test engineers are the San Jose State University and the San Jose State University.

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

What education do you need to become a hardware test engineer?

What degree do you need to be a hardware test engineer?

The most common degree for hardware test engineers is bachelor's degree, with 67% of hardware test engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 67%

Associate, 18%

Master's, 10%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a hardware test engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a hardware test engineer. 52% of hardware test engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a hardware test engineer include computer science and computer engineering.

Electrical Engineering, 52%

Computer Science, 10%

Computer Engineering, 7%

Electrical Engineering Technology, 6%

Other Majors, 25%

Most common colleges for hardware test engineers

Hardware test engineers often get their degrees at San Jose State University, University of Washington, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for hardware test engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Hardware test engineer common college	Percentages
San Jose State University	11.54%
University of Washington	9.62%
University of California - Davis	9.62%
DeVry University	6.73%
Northeastern University	6.73%

Show more common hardware test engineer colleges

Best majors for hardware test engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	52.0%
2	Computer Science	10.0%
3	Computer Engineering	7.0%
4	Electrical Engineering Technology	6.0%
5	Mechanical Engineering	3.9%

Show more common hardware test engineer majors

Best colleges for hardware test engineers

The best colleges for hardware test engineers are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A hardware test 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 test 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 test 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 test engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for hardware test engineers

The most affordable schools for hardware test engineers are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for hardware test 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 test 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 test engineers

The hardest universities for hardware test engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for hardware test 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 test 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

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

SAT average

1,520

6. Princeton University

Princeton, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

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

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 test engineers

The easiest schools for hardware test 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 test 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 test 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 test engineer salary by education level

According to our data, hardware test engineers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $115,099 annually. Hardware test engineers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $106,452.

Hardware test engineer education level	Hardware test engineer salary
Master's Degree	$115,099
Bachelor's Degree	$106,452

Hardware test engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Hardware Test 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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