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Laser engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a laser engineer. Laser engineers usually study physics, electrical engineering, or electrical engineering technology. 59% of laser engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 199 real laser engineer resumes to see exactly what laser engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for laser engineers are the San Jose State University and the San Jose State University.
There are also many online laser engineer courses to help get the education required to be a laser engineer.
What education do you need to become a laser engineer?
What degree do you need to be a laser engineer?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Associate, 21%
- Master's, 14%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a laser engineer?
- Physics, 25%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for laser engineers
| Laser engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| San Jose State University | 10.26% |
| University of Rochester | 7.69% |
| University of Central Florida | 7.69% |
| Montana State University - Bozeman | 5.13% |
| Michigan Technological University | 5.13% |
Best majors for laser engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physics | 25.2% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 24.4% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 8.9% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 8.1% |
| 5 | Business | 7.4% |
Best colleges for laser engineers
The best colleges for laser engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A laser 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 laser 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 laser engineers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
20 best online courses for laser engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for laser engineers
The most affordable schools for laser engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for laser 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 laser 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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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 University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for laser engineers
The hardest universities for laser engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for laser 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 laser 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. 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for laser engineers
The easiest schools for laser engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, texas a&m; university - kingsville, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a laser 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 laser engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
5. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
6. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,068
7. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
8. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
9. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
Average laser engineer salary by education level
| Laser engineer education level | Laser engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $93,528 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $83,911 |
| Doctorate Degree | $102,697 |
Laser engineer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025