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Junior project engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a junior project engineer. Junior project engineers usually study mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or electrical engineering. 80% of junior project engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 455 real junior project engineer resumes to see exactly what junior project engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for junior project engineers are the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

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

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

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

The most common degree for junior project engineers is bachelor's degree, with 80% of junior project engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 80%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

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

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a junior project engineer. 22% of junior project engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a junior project engineer include civil engineering and electrical engineering.

Most common colleges for junior project engineers

Junior project engineers often get their degrees at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, University of Connecticut, and San Jose State University. Here are the most common colleges for junior project engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Junior project engineer common collegePercentages
Worcester Polytechnic Institute15.25%
University of Connecticut6.78%
San Jose State University5.08%
Drexel University5.08%
Pennsylvania State University5.08%

Best majors for junior project engineers

Best colleges for junior project engineers

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

A junior project 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 project 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 project engineers.

1. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for junior project engineers

Advertising disclosure

1. Engineering Project Management: Risk, Quality, Teams, and Procurement

coursera

Many Project Managers focus only on the scope, schedule and budget. However, a successful project requires that you manage risk, control the quality of the deliverables, engage and manage people and procure goods and services. This course will focus on these key support functions that make the difference between a highly successful project and an average one. During the course, you will prepare a Qualitative Risk Analysis and Evaluate the Cost of Quality for a provided Case Study. By the end of...

2. Engineering Project Management

coursera

Master strategies and tools to more effectively and successfully manage projects.\n\nToday’s professional environment is highly competitive, continuously changing, and difficult to manage. Employees rarely reach positions of leadership without managing one or more projects or a project segment early in their career.\n\nBrought to you by the Rice Center of Engineering Leadership and team behind the engineering management master's program, the goal of this Specialization is to give you the tools...

3. Construction Cost Estimating and Management

udemy
4.6
(642)

Learn the tools used by construction management professionals to ensure their projects finish under budget...

4. Construction Project Scheduling

udemy
4.5
(346)

Learn the tools and techniques used by construction management professionals to ensure projects finish on time...

5. Managing Major Engineering Projects

coursera

Accelerate your career by improving your project management skills. This Specialization delivers a rigorous exploration of the best practices for planning and delivering these major engineering projects. You’ll learn about the measures of success, how to resolve challenges of governance and typical financing approaches of these projects.\n\nIf you are an engineer or a project manager and you aspire to get involved with major engineering projects, or you are already working on one, then this...

6. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation,Cad Excel & Planswift

udemy
4.4
(2,658)

Quantity Surveying, Quantity Takeoff, BBS In Excel ,Complete Project In Autocad, Project Planning With Primavera P6...

7. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation BBS with Excel & CAD

udemy
4.4
(1,052)

Quantity Surveying, Construction Estimation ,Quantity survey ,Cost Estimation ,Civil engineering, Building Estimation...

8. Projects Cost Management, Estimating, Budgeting and Control.

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4.1
(1,381)

Learn how to estimate costs for any project, how to determine budget and how to use Earned Value Management tools. 3 PDU...

9. Construction Procurement Management

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4.5
(300)

A course on procurement designed for engineers new to the infrastructure/construction industry...

10. Project Management: Cost & Schedule Monitoring using EVM

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4.3
(1,114)

Earned Value Management, Project Management, Cost Control & Monitor, Budget, Schedule & Cost Variance, Performance Index...

11. HVAC Ductwork Quantity Take off for Quantity Surveyors

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4.4
(284)

HVAC, Duct, Take off, Estimation, Quantity Surveying, Length, Area, Weight, SMACNA, POMI, AUTOCAD, Excel, Template, MEP...

12. IT Project Budget & Cost Management

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4.4
(290)

Project Management tips to manage a million dollar IT Project budget from start to finish...

13. Project Management - Complete Guide For A+ Project Managers

udemy
4.6
(494)

Complete guide to project management - stakeholders, planning, cost, quality, risks, feasibility, methods & resourcing...

14. Quantity Surveying Templates for Effective Cost Management

udemy
4.5
(345)

Quantity Surveying, Payment Application, Payment Tracker, Variation, Claim, Material Claim, Guarantees, Price Comparison...

15. Mastering Construction/Project Management

udemy
4.2
(659)

Mastering Construction-Project Management in less than 10 Hours...

16. Diploma in Basics of Civil Engineering for Construction

udemy
4.3
(294)

Practical Course to Gain Quick Knowledge in Civil Engineering & Get Entry Level Jobs in Construction as Freshers...

17. Project Management Fundamentals - The Art of Scheduling

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4.3
(1,807)

Learn How To Schedule Like A Pro From A Pro...

18. Project Management With MS Project - Scheduling Master Class

udemy
4.5
(4,297)

Managing projects with Microsoft Project? Learn project management, planning, scheduling, and tracking best practices...

19. Quantity Surveying With Rate Analysis And Take Off-Beginners

udemy
4.2
(340)

Quantity Surveying, Quantity Takeoff, Estimation, Rate Analysis, Blubeam Revu, Planswift, Costing, Construction Drawings...

20. Project Management Essentials

udemy
4.5
(15,814)

A crash course in the essentials of project management for new project managers...

Top 10 most affordable universities for junior project engineers

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

If the best universities for junior project 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 project 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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. 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

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for junior project engineers

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

Some great schools for junior project 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 project 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

9. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

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

The easiest schools for junior project engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, oklahoma wesleyan university, and the university of texas at el paso.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

4. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

7. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

8. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

Average junior project engineer salary by education level

Junior project engineers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $75,684 annually. With a Doctorate degree, junior project engineers earn a median annual income of $75,285 compared to $70,135 for junior project engineers with an Bachelor's degree.
Junior project engineer education levelJunior project engineer salary
Master's Degree$75,684
Bachelor's Degree$70,135
Doctorate Degree$75,285

Junior project engineer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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