Junior networking engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a junior networking engineer. Junior networking engineers usually study electrical engineering, information technology, or computer networking. 68% of junior networking engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,246 real junior networking engineer resumes to see exactly what junior networking engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for junior networking engineers are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.

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

There are certain junior networking engineer certifications that you should consider. These junior networking engineer certifications include CCNA Routing and Switching Certification (CCNA RS) and Security 5 Certification.

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

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

The most common degree for junior networking engineers is bachelor's degree, with 68% of junior networking engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 68%

Associate, 16%

Master's, 10%

Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 3%

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

You should major in electrical engineering to become a junior networking engineer. 27% of junior networking engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a junior networking engineer include information technology and computer networking.

Electrical Engineering, 27%

Information Technology, 11%

Computer Networking, 11%

Computer Science, 10%

Other Majors, 41%

Most common colleges for junior networking engineers

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

Junior networking engineer common college	Percentages
DeVry University	12.79%
George Mason University	10.47%
New Jersey Institute of Technology	8.14%
University of Maryland - College Park	8.14%
ECPI University	6.98%

Show more common junior networking engineer colleges

Best majors for junior networking engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	26.9%
2	Information Technology	11.2%
3	Computer Networking	10.7%
4	Computer Science	10.2%
5	Electrical Engineering Technology	7.1%

Show more common junior networking engineer majors

Best colleges for junior networking engineers

The best colleges for junior networking engineers are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A junior networking 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 networking 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 networking engineers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

5. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$19,080

Enrollment

19,127

6. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

4,169

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

20 best online courses for junior networking engineers

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4.8

(1,422)

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4. Master Class: TCP/IP Mechanics from Scratch to Expert

4.7

(798)

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5. Ansible for Network Engineers: Quick Start GNS3 & Ansible

4.8

(3,873)

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6. Fundamentals of Network Engineering

4.7

(2,316)

Understanding the first principles of networking to build low latency and high throughput backends...

7. TCP/IP Training Video A Definitive & Easy To Follow Course

4.3

(906)

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8. Microsoft Networking Fundamentals

4.7

(2,515)

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9. Python Network Programming for Network Engineers (Python 3)

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4.3

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14. General Networking - wireless, routers, firewalls, Cisco NAS

4.4

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Understand all the IT Networking Fundamentals and learn how the computer network functions...

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18. Introduction to Networking

4.6

(678)

IPv4, Subnetting, DNS, DHCP, IPv6, Routing and Switching...

19. Linux for Network Engineers: Practical Linux with GNS3

4.6

(4,430)

Linux for Networking Engineers (CCNA, CCNP, CCIE etc). Practical Linux with GNS3 = network programmability & automation...

20. Computer Networks Foundations - Best Starter Course [2023]

4.5

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Learn foundations of computer network systems in a simplified manner...

Top 10 most affordable universities for junior networking engineers

The most affordable schools for junior networking engineers are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - bakersfield, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for junior networking 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 networking engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for junior networking engineers

The hardest universities for junior networking engineers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for junior networking 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 networking 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

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

The easiest schools for junior networking engineers to get into are Capitol Technology University, oregon institute of technology, and kean university.

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

1. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

2. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

5. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

6. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,148

7. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

8. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

9. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

10. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

Average junior networking engineer salary by education level

According to our data, junior networking engineers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $94,249 annually. Junior networking engineers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $91,159.

Junior networking engineer education level	Junior networking engineer salary
Master's Degree	$94,249
High School Diploma or Less	$82,071
Bachelor's Degree	$91,159
Some College/ Associate Degree	$83,065

Junior networking engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Junior Networking Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

Search for junior networking engineer jobs

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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