Lead engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a lead engineer. Lead engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or computer science. 66% of lead engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 10,279 real lead engineer resumes to see exactly what lead engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for lead engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

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

There are certain lead engineer certifications that you should consider. These lead engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Project Management Professional (PMP).

What education do you need to become a lead engineer?

What degree do you need to be a lead engineer?

The most common degree for lead engineers is bachelor's degree, with 66% of lead engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 66%

Master's, 18%

Associate, 8%

Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a lead engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a lead engineer. 21% of lead engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a lead engineer include electrical engineering and computer science.

Mechanical Engineering, 21%

Electrical Engineering, 19%

Computer Science, 13%

Business, 6%

Other Majors, 41%

Most common colleges for lead engineers

Lead engineers often get their degrees at Purdue University, University of Houston, and Georgia Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for lead engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Lead engineer common college	Percentages
Purdue University	9.21%
University of Houston	6.63%
Georgia Institute of Technology	5.90%
Pennsylvania State University	5.90%
University of Maryland - College Park	5.65%

Show more common lead engineer colleges

Best majors for lead engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	21.1%
2	Electrical Engineering	19.4%
3	Computer Science	12.9%
4	Business	6.2%
5	Engineering	5.1%

Show more common lead engineer majors

Best colleges for lead engineers

The best colleges for lead engineers are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A lead 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 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 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

9. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

20 best online courses for lead engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead engineers

The most affordable schools for lead engineers are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and california state university - los angeles.

If the best universities for lead 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 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 engineers

The hardest universities for lead 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 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 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

SAT average

1,508

2. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

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

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

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

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead engineers

The easiest schools for lead 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 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 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 engineer salary by education level

According to our data, lead engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $104,947 annually. Lead engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $96,127.

Lead engineer education level	Lead engineer salary
Master's Degree	$96,127
Bachelor's Degree	$83,969
Doctorate Degree	$104,947

Lead engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Lead 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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