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Lead product engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a lead product engineer. Lead product engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or business. 68% of lead product engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 538 real lead product engineer resumes to see exactly what lead product engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for lead product engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online lead product engineer courses to help get the education required to be a lead product engineer.
What education do you need to become a lead product engineer?
What degree do you need to be a lead product engineer?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a lead product engineer?
- Business, 8%
- Computer Science, 5%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for lead product engineers
| Lead product engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 11.58% |
| University of Akron | 6.32% |
| Arizona State University | 6.32% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.32% |
| Michigan Technological University | 5.26% |
Best majors for lead product engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 31.5% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 22.2% |
| 3 | Business | 7.7% |
| 4 | Computer Science | 5.3% |
| 5 | Engineering | 5.0% |
Best colleges for lead product engineers
The best colleges for lead product engineers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A lead product 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 product 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 product 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. 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. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,646
Enrollment
5,736
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
10. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
20 best online courses for lead product engineers
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3. Product Development & Systems Engineering
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4. Mechanical design and Product development process
Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...
5. Technical Product Management: learn on 4 real industry cases
Boost your technicality (as a PM) or tech product skills (as an engineer) to grow in your current role...
6. Product Management Crash Course; IT Product Management
Product Management Essentials & Product Management Fundamentals to kick-start your career in Product Management...
7. Product Design Management for Agile Practitioners
Application of product design management principles, concepts, tools and techniques in agile product management...
8. Comprehensive Product management for Product managers
Become a great product manager with comprehensive product management Real world case study with JIRA & Confluence...
9. Product Management Fundamentals
Case-based practical course on product management to build strong foundations in product concepts, process & frameworks...
10. Product and Service Management
Know the Work that is Involved in Getting a Product Onto the Shelf and a Service Ready for Effective Delivery...
11. The Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)
The 18-step process for ensuring new parts are consistently manufactured and meet their customers' quality expectations...
12. Product Management 101
Learn to become a more strategic product manager - and have a greater impact on your company and your products...
13. Manufacturing Guide for Mechanical Product Development
Learn how everyday physical products are manufactured with no prior experience in engineering...
14. Product Management Marketing: Dekker's Product Marketing MBA
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15. Professional Diploma in Digital Products Management
Program with business cases (Fintech, Retail Banking, Digital Business) & Interactive part...
16. Insightful Customer Interviews for Product Managers
Direct conversations with real customers to gain insight, test product concepts, and drive product success...
17. Great Product Manager: Product Management by a Big Tech's PM
Become a Great Product Manager! Land your dream job with Big Tech's Senior Product Manager...
18. Smart Tips: Product Management
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19. Introduction Agile & Scrum for Product Owners
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20. Product Management: Mastering Product Roadmaps 2023
A complete guide to building a roadmap that works for both your product team and your stakeholders...
Top 10 most affordable universities for lead product engineers
The most affordable schools for lead product engineers are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for lead product 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 product engineers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lead product engineers
The hardest universities for lead product engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for lead product 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 product 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead product engineers
The easiest schools for lead product engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, oklahoma wesleyan university, and capitol technology university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead product 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 product 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. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
6. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
10. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
Average lead product engineer salary by education level
| Lead product engineer education level | Lead product engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $116,065 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $104,871 |
| Doctorate Degree | $123,965 |
Lead product 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