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Machine designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a machine designer. Machine designers usually study drafting and design, mechanical engineering, or mechanical engineering technology. 45% of machine designers hold a associate degree, and 38% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 786 real machine designer resumes to see exactly what machine designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for machine designers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online machine designer courses to help get the education required to be a machine designer.
There are certain machine designer certifications that you should consider. These machine designer certifications include AutoCAD Certified Professional and Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma).
What education do you need to become a machine designer?
What degree do you need to be a machine designer?
- Associate, 45%
- Bachelor's, 38%
- Diploma, 7%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a machine designer?
- Drafting And Design, 30%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for machine designers
| Machine designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 13.43% |
| Ferris State University | 11.94% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 8.96% |
| Florida Technical College | 5.97% |
| Lawrence Technological University | 5.97% |
Best majors for machine designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drafting And Design | 30.3% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 26.8% |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineering Technology | 10.5% |
| 4 | Precision Metal Working | 5.4% |
| 5 | Engineering | 5.1% |
Best colleges for machine designers
The best colleges for machine designers are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and California Institute of Technology.
A machine designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for machine designers. 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 machine designers.
1. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
2. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,646
Enrollment
5,736
3. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. Iowa State University of Science and Technology
Ames, IA • Private
In-state tuition
$8,988
Enrollment
29,248
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
20 best online courses for machine designers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for machine designers
The most affordable schools for machine designers are Brigham Young University, inter american university of puerto rico san german, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.
If the best universities for machine designers 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 machine designers.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German
San German, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
14,322
3. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Cost of attendance
13,476
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla
Aguadilla, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,902
Cost of attendance
13,284
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for machine designers
The hardest universities for machine designers to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and California Institute of Technology.
Some great schools for machine designers 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 machine designers 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for machine designers
The easiest schools for machine designers to get into are Saint Martin's University, oregon institute of technology, and south dakota state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a machine designer 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 machine designers.
1. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
2. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
3. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
4. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
5. Montana Technological University
Butte, MT • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,199
6. Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,111
7. University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,050
8. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
9. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
10. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
Average machine designer salary by education level
| Machine designer education level | Machine designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $79,682 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $69,107 |
| Doctorate Degree | $87,400 |
Machine designer 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