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Manager of engineering department education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a manager of engineering department. Managers of engineering department usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or business. 68% of managers of engineering department hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,136 real manager of engineering department resumes to see exactly what manager of engineering department education sections show.

The most common colleges for managers of engineering department are the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa.

There are also many online manager of engineering department courses to help get the education required to be a manager of engineering department.

There are certain manager of engineering department certifications that you should consider. These manager of engineering department certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).

What education do you need to become a manager of engineering department?

What degree do you need to be a manager of engineering department?

The most common degree for managers of engineering department is bachelor's degree, with 68% of managers of engineering department earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Master's, 16%
  • Associate, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a manager of engineering department?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a manager of engineering department. 19% of managers of engineering department major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a manager of engineering department include electrical engineering and business.

Most common colleges for managers of engineering department

Managers of engineering department often get their degrees at University of Iowa, University of Illinois at Chicago, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for managers of engineering department in the US based on their resumes.
Manager of engineering department common collegePercentages
University of Iowa7.56%
University of Illinois at Chicago6.72%
University of Phoenix6.72%
Purdue University6.72%
Texas A&M University5.88%

Best majors for managers of engineering department

Best colleges for managers of engineering department

The best colleges for managers of engineering department are Columbia University in the City of New York, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.

A manager of engineering department with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for managers of engineering department. 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 managers of engineering department.

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

20 best online courses for managers of engineering department

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Top 10 most affordable universities for managers of engineering department

The most affordable schools for managers of engineering department are United States Merchant Marine Academy, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for managers of engineering department 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 managers of engineering department.

1. United States Merchant Marine Academy

Kings Point, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$1,080

Cost of attendance

6,646

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for managers of engineering department

The hardest universities for managers of engineering department to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for managers of engineering department 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 managers of engineering department 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for managers of engineering department

The easiest schools for managers of engineering department to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, the university of texas permian basin, and the university of texas at el paso.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a manager of engineering department 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 managers of engineering department.

1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

2. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

3. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

4. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

5. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

6. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois

DuBois, PA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,079

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

Average manager of engineering department salary by education level

According to our data, managers of engineering department with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $139,619 annually. Managers of engineering department with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $127,955.
Manager of engineering department education levelManager of engineering department salary
Master's Degree$127,955
Bachelor's Degree$118,248
Doctorate Degree$139,619

Manager of engineering department education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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