Industrial process engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an industrial process engineer. Industrial process engineers usually study industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, or business. 80% of industrial process engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 323 real industrial process engineer resumes to see exactly what industrial process engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for industrial process engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

There are also many online industrial process engineer courses to help get the education required to be an industrial process engineer.

What education do you need to become an industrial process engineer?

What degree do you need to be an industrial process engineer?

The most common degree for industrial process engineers is bachelor's degree, with 80% of industrial process engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 80%

Master's, 15%

Associate, 5%

Doctorate, 0%

What should I major in to become an industrial process engineer?

You should major in industrial engineering to become an industrial process engineer. 38% of industrial process engineers major in industrial engineering. Other common majors for an industrial process engineer include mechanical engineering and business.

Industrial Engineering, 38%

Mechanical Engineering, 11%

Business, 8%

Industrial Technology, 6%

Other Majors, 37%

Most common colleges for industrial process engineers

Industrial process engineers often get their degrees at Purdue University, University of Florida, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for industrial process engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Industrial process engineer common college	Percentages
Purdue University	10.96%
University of Florida	6.85%
Pennsylvania State University	6.85%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	6.85%
Northern Illinois University	6.85%

Show more common industrial process engineer colleges

Best majors for industrial process engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Industrial Engineering	38.5%
2	Mechanical Engineering	11.3%
3	Business	8.1%
4	Industrial Technology	6.1%
5	Chemical Engineering	6.1%

Show more common industrial process engineer majors

Best colleges for industrial process engineers

The best colleges for industrial process engineers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

An industrial process 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 industrial process 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 industrial process engineers.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

20 best online courses for industrial process engineers

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3. Process/Chemical Engineering - BOOTCAMP 2021

4.2

(448)

The only course with over 10 hours practical knowledge about main process equipment Design, Control and Safety...

4. Process Improvement

4.6

(1,844)

#1 Process Improvement course: The step by step guide on how to deliver effective and lasting process improvements...

5. Process Mining with Celonis

4.4

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Learn and practice how to combine data science and process mapping techniques to visualize processes with real data...

6. Leadership, Business Process Improvement, & Process Mapping!

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Learn the leadership, communication, and process mapping skills to accelerate your career!...

7. Business Process Mapping

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The complete guide to map any business process...

8. Process Flowcharts & Process Mapping - The Advanced Guide

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Use business analysis to model process flows with real-world examples & project-based hands-on activities -IIBA Endorsed...

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11. Aspen Plus - Basic Process Modeling

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13. Statistical Process Control (SPC) Using Microsoft Excel

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14. Operations Management A-Z: Business Processes and Systems

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Operations Management: Supply Chain & Business Processes in Industry for Manufacturing and Services Organizations...

15. Executive Briefing: Natural Language Processing (NLP)

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16. Process Mapping and Flowcharts Certification (Accredited)

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17. Medical Device Process Validation. ISO 13485. IQ OQ PQ.

4.4

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18. Advanced Process Control & Safety Instrumented Systems SIS

4.5

(783)

Learn how the main process equipment such as chemical reactors , pumps , compressors & heat exchangers are controlled...

19. Certified Process Mapping / Flowcharts Expert Accredited

4.7

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20. Data Science:Data Mining & Natural Language Processing in R

4.7

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Harness the Power of Machine Learning in R for Data/Text Mining, & Natural Language Processing with Practical Examples...

Top 10 most affordable universities for industrial process engineers

The most affordable schools for industrial process engineers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for industrial process 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 industrial process 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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. 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

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for industrial process engineers

The hardest universities for industrial process engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for industrial process 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 industrial process 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for industrial process engineers

The easiest schools for industrial process engineers to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an industrial process 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 industrial process engineers.

1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

Average industrial process engineer salary by education level

Industrial process engineers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $83,721 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, industrial process engineers earn a median annual income of $76,106 compared to $65,982 for industrial process engineers with an Associate degree.

Industrial process engineer education level	Industrial process engineer salary
Master's Degree	$83,721
Bachelor's Degree	$76,106
Some College/ Associate Degree	$65,982

Industrial process engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Industrial Process 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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