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Lead development engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a lead development engineer. Lead development engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or computer science. 69% of lead development engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 430 real lead development engineer resumes to see exactly what lead development engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for lead development engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online lead development engineer courses to help get the education required to be a lead development engineer.
What education do you need to become a lead development engineer?
What degree do you need to be a lead development engineer?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a lead development engineer?
- Computer Science, 18%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for lead development engineers
| Lead development engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 10.45% |
| University of California - Davis | 8.96% |
| Wayne State University | 7.46% |
| University of Central Florida | 5.97% |
| Drexel University | 5.97% |
Best majors for lead development engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 20.2% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 19.1% |
| 3 | Computer Science | 18.4% |
| 4 | Computer Engineering | 6.7% |
| 5 | Business | 5.3% |
Best colleges for lead development engineers
The best colleges for lead development engineers are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A lead development 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 lead development 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 lead development engineers.
1. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
2. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for lead development engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead development engineers
The most affordable schools for lead development engineers are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for lead development 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 lead development engineers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lead development engineers
The hardest universities for lead development engineers to get into are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for lead development 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 lead development 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead development engineers
The easiest schools for lead development engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, san francisco state university, and texas a&m; university - kingsville.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead development 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 lead development engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
3. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
4. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
5. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
6. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
7. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
8. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
9. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
10. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
Average lead development engineer salary by education level
| Lead development engineer education level | Lead development engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $121,249 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $112,735 |
| Doctorate Degree | $129,766 |
Lead development engineer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025