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Instrumentation engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an instrumentation engineer. Instrumentation engineers usually study electrical engineering, music, or mechanical engineering. 79% of instrumentation engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,710 real instrumentation engineer resumes to see exactly what instrumentation engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for instrumentation engineers are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.
There are also many online instrumentation engineer courses to help get the education required to be an instrumentation engineer.
There are certain instrumentation engineer certifications that you should consider. These instrumentation engineer certifications include Instrumentation Certification and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).
What education do you need to become an instrumentation engineer?
What degree do you need to be an instrumentation engineer?
- Bachelor's, 79%
- Master's, 9%
- Associate, 7%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an instrumentation engineer?
- Music, 8%
- Engineering, 6%
- Other Majors, 28%
Most common colleges for instrumentation engineers
| Instrumentation engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Houston | 11.04% |
| University of New Orleans | 7.36% |
| Louisiana Tech University | 6.75% |
| DeVry University | 6.13% |
| Texas A&M University | 5.52% |
Best majors for instrumentation engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 51.6% |
| 2 | Music | 7.6% |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineering | 6.2% |
| 4 | Engineering | 5.8% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 5.7% |
Best colleges for instrumentation engineers
The best colleges for instrumentation engineers are Northeastern University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
An instrumentation 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 instrumentation 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 instrumentation engineers.
1. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,646
Enrollment
5,736
2. Wentworth Institute of Technology
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$33,950
Enrollment
4,254
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Enrollment
24,841
20 best online courses for instrumentation engineers
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This course was developed and based on my experiences (more than 12 years ) in Instrumentation ...
4. Know Read Understand Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams P & IDs
Learn how Process Control, Safety Instrumented Systems, Interlock & Alarms are represented in engineering P & ID drawings...
5. Introduction to process control and instrumentation
Learn how process control is ensured in process industries & how the main instruments measure the key process variables...
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Learn how the main process equipment such as chemical reactors , pumps , compressors & heat exchangers are controlled...
7. Fundamentals of Electrical Instrumentation
Master the fundamentals of instrumentation: Learn to wire digital & analog circuits and understand how they work!...
8. Control Systems: From Mathematical Modelling to PID Control
Learn the mathematics that will allow you to model and control any engineering system. Make machines do what you want!...
9. The Ultimate Guide to Logic Pro X Instrument Plugins & VSTs
Understand & master all of LPX instrument plugins and build any sound you want into your music production & sound design...
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This course is a great introduction to Programmable Logic Controllers Theory, Principles, and Programming Applications...
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19. PLC & AC Drive with Automatic & Manual Industrial Control
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Top 10 most affordable universities for instrumentation engineers
The most affordable schools for instrumentation engineers are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and inter american university of puerto rico bayamon.
If the best universities for instrumentation 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 instrumentation engineers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
8. West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Beckley, WV • Private
In-state tuition
$7,464
Cost of attendance
17,166
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. National University College - Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$6,675
Cost of attendance
12,941
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for instrumentation engineers
The hardest universities for instrumentation engineers to get into are Northeastern University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for instrumentation 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 instrumentation 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for instrumentation engineers
The easiest schools for instrumentation engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and pennsylvania state university - altoona.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an instrumentation 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 instrumentation engineers.
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. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona
Altoona, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,094
4. Pennsylvania State University - Berks
Reading, PA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,107
5. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
6. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,068
7. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
8. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
9. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average instrumentation engineer salary by education level
| Instrumentation engineer education level | Instrumentation engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $97,592 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $86,598 |
| Doctorate Degree | $108,008 |
Instrumentation engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025