Junior design engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a junior design engineer. Junior design engineers usually study mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or electrical engineering. 72% of junior design engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 404 real junior design engineer resumes to see exactly what junior design engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for junior design engineers are the Northeastern University and the Northeastern University.

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

What education do you need to become a junior design engineer?

What degree do you need to be a junior design engineer?

The most common degree for junior design engineers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of junior design engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 72%

Master's, 11%

Associate, 11%

Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a junior design engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a junior design engineer. 35% of junior design engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a junior design engineer include civil engineering and electrical engineering.

Mechanical Engineering, 35%

Civil Engineering, 15%

Electrical Engineering, 12%

Engineering, 7%

Other Majors, 31%

Most common colleges for junior design engineers

Junior design engineers often get their degrees at Northeastern University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Florida Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for junior design engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Junior design engineer common college	Percentages
Northeastern University	8.16%
New Jersey Institute of Technology	8.16%
Florida Institute of Technology	6.12%
National University	6.12%
Villanova University	6.12%

Show more common junior design engineer colleges

Best majors for junior design engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	34.6%
2	Civil Engineering	15.4%
3	Electrical Engineering	12.1%
4	Engineering	6.8%
5	Drafting And Design	3.9%

Show more common junior design engineer majors

Best colleges for junior design engineers

The best colleges for junior design engineers are Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A junior 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 junior 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 junior design engineers.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for junior design engineers

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2. Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Design and Manufacturing with Fusion 360

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3. Basics of Sheet metal design for Mechanical design engineers

4.3

(793)

Learn Sheet metal design, processes and practical design considerations along with Design projects...

4. Mechanical design and Product development process

4.2

(604)

Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...

5. Basics of Material selection for mechanical design engineers

4.4

(542)

Learn about the fundamentals of materials and their selection for mechanical engineering design for design engineers...

6. Learning SOLIDWORKS: For Students, Engineers, and Designers

4.4

(2,712)

For Basic and Intermediate Users...

7. Pro Engineer Creo Fundamental 3D design course

4.3

(1,044)

Learn fundamentals of creo parametric from scratch including part design,drawing,assembly...

8. Catia V5 Electrical Harness Design - Automotive & Industrial

4.6

(676)

Learn Catia V5 from a design engineer with more la 18 years experience in automotive, racing and industrial design...

9. Complete Course in CATIA

4.4

(674)

For Students, Engineers, and Designers...

10. Unreal Engine: Intro to Game Design

4.5

(840)

Like Fortnite? Master the tools used to build it as we build a simple shooting gallery game using the Unreal Engine!...

11. PG Diploma in Piping Design Engineering

4.2

(839)

Learn Piping Design Engineering...

12. Automotive product design using CATIA V5

4.4

(624)

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13. Use Eco-friendly, Sustainable Design to Improve your Life

4.4

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14. Introduction to Automotive Product Design & development

4.4

(648)

Learn about the process, milestones and activities from idea to complete design of cars for Automotive engineers...

15. Introduction to SOLIDWORKS

4.6

(1,147)

Learn the fundamentals of SOLIDWORKS engineering and design software including parts, drawings, and assemblies...

16. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design

4.7

(55,714)

The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...

17. Unreal Engine 5 - Realistic Environment Design for Beginners

4.4

(857)

Learn video game level design in UE5 by creating an entire playable island step by step, even as a complete beginner!...

18. STAAD Pro. - Structural Design of Steel Building (PEB)

4.5

(326)

Structural Analysis and Structural Design of Pre Engineered Building in Staad Pro with Real World Project...

19. CATIA V5 3D Design & Modeling Course for Beginner

(386)

Learn CATIA V5 from an industry expert like a Pro and become an expert in Sketch & Part Module...

20. Catia V5 Beginner to Advanced - Automotive and Industrial

4.6

(2,645)

Learn Catia V5 from a design engineer with more than 18 years experience in automotive, racing and industrial design...

Top 10 most affordable universities for junior design engineers

The most affordable schools for junior design engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and florida state university.

If the best universities for junior 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 junior design engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

5. 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

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for junior design engineers

The hardest universities for junior design engineers to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for junior 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 junior 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

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

SAT average

1,497

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for junior design engineers

The easiest schools for junior design engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, south dakota state university, and alabama a & m university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a junior 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 junior design engineers.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

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. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

7. California State University - Chico

Chico, CA • Private

Admissions rate

65%

SAT average

1,092

8. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

9. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

10. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

Average junior design engineer salary by education level

Junior design engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $75,005 annually. With a Master's degree, junior design engineers earn a median annual income of $68,080 compared to $58,644 for junior design engineers with an Bachelor's degree.

Junior design engineer education level	Junior design engineer salary
Master's Degree	$68,080
Bachelor's Degree	$58,644
Doctorate Degree	$75,005

Junior design engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Junior Design 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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