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Lead operations engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a lead operations engineer. Lead operations engineers usually study mechanical engineering, business, or electrical engineering. 56% of lead operations engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 561 real lead operations engineer resumes to see exactly what lead operations engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for lead operations engineers are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online lead operations engineer courses to help get the education required to be a lead operations engineer.
There are certain lead operations engineer certifications that you should consider. These lead operations engineer certifications include EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA) and Six Sigma Green Belt.
What education do you need to become a lead operations engineer?
What degree do you need to be a lead operations engineer?
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 15%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a lead operations engineer?
- Business, 13%
- Engineering, 7%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for lead operations engineers
| Lead operations engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 12.12% |
| University of Phoenix | 12.12% |
| Arizona State University | 6.06% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 6.06% |
| Northeastern University | 6.06% |
Best majors for lead operations engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 13.8% |
| 2 | Business | 13.3% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 12.0% |
| 4 | Engineering | 7.1% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 5.3% |
Best colleges for lead operations engineers
The best colleges for lead operations engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A lead operations 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 operations 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 operations engineers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
5. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
6. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$53,880
Enrollment
6,590
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for lead operations engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead operations engineers
The most affordable schools for lead operations engineers are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for lead operations 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 operations engineers.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lead operations engineers
The hardest universities for lead operations engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for lead operations 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 operations 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. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead operations engineers
The easiest schools for lead operations engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, the university of texas permian basin, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead operations 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 operations engineers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
Average lead operations engineer salary by education level
| Lead operations engineer education level | Lead operations engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $118,062 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $101,773 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $113,913 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $103,096 |
Lead operations engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025