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Head design engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a head design engineer. Head design engineers usually study mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or electrical engineering. 59% of head design engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 107 real head design engineer resumes to see exactly what head design engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for head design engineers are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.
There are also many online head design engineer courses to help get the education required to be a head design engineer.
What education do you need to become a head design engineer?
What degree do you need to be a head design engineer?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a head design engineer?
- Civil Engineering, 13%
- Engineering, 6%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for head design engineers
| Head design engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Florida | 12.00% |
| Auburn University Main Campus | 8.00% |
| New Mexico State University | 8.00% |
| Northeastern University | 8.00% |
| Western Washington University | 4.00% |
Best majors for head design engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 29.4% |
| 2 | Civil Engineering | 13.2% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 8.8% |
| 4 | Engineering | 5.9% |
| 5 | Business | 4.4% |
Best colleges for head design engineers
The best colleges for head design engineers are Columbia University in the City of New York, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A head design 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 head design 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 head design engineers.
1. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
2. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for head design engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for head design engineers
The most affordable schools for head design engineers are University of Florida, florida state university, and florida atlantic university.
If the best universities for head design 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 head design engineers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
3. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
4. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for head design engineers
The hardest universities for head design engineers to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for head design 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 head design 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for head design engineers
The easiest schools for head design engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, saint martin's university, and alabama a & m university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a head design 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 head design engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
3. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
4. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
5. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
6. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
7. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
8. California State University - Chico
Chico, CA • Private
Admissions rate
65%
SAT average
1,092
9. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average head design engineer salary by education level
| Head design engineer education level | Head design engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $86,007 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $73,773 |
| Doctorate Degree | $95,017 |
Head design 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