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Inventor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an inventor. Inventors usually study business, mechanical engineering, or drafting and design. 55% of inventors hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 293 real inventor resumes to see exactly what inventor education sections show.
The most common colleges for inventors are the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
There are also many online inventor courses to help get the education required to be an inventor.
What education do you need to become an inventor?
What degree do you need to be an inventor?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 15%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become an inventor?
- Business, 17%
- Computer Science, 8%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for inventors
| Inventor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 13.04% |
| Johns Hopkins University | 8.70% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 6.52% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.52% |
| San Diego State University | 6.52% |
Best majors for inventors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 16.7% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 13.3% |
| 3 | Drafting And Design | 9.2% |
| 4 | Computer Science | 7.5% |
| 5 | Marketing | 5.8% |
Best colleges for inventors
The best colleges for inventors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
An inventor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for inventors. 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 inventors.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
20 best online courses for inventors
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19. Medical Device Regulation 2017/745 EU regulatory affairs.
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20. Do-It-Yourself Patent Searching Using Free Web Resources
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Top 10 most affordable universities for inventors
The most affordable schools for inventors are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for inventors 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 inventors.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for inventors
The hardest universities for inventors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for inventors 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 inventors 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for inventors
The easiest schools for inventors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, university of the incarnate word, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an inventor 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 inventors.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
Average inventor salary by education level
| Inventor education level | Inventor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $74,175 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $65,741 |
| Doctorate Degree | $84,808 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $57,411 |
Inventor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025