Mechanical systems designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a mechanical systems designer. Mechanical systems designers usually study mechanical engineering, drafting and design, or mechanical engineering technology. 54% of mechanical systems designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 161 real mechanical systems designer resumes to see exactly what mechanical systems designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for mechanical systems designers are the Wichita State University and the Wichita State University.

There are also many online mechanical systems designer courses to help get the education required to be a mechanical systems designer.

What education do you need to become a mechanical systems designer?

What degree do you need to be a mechanical systems designer?

The most common degree for mechanical systems designers is bachelor's degree, with 54% of mechanical systems designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 28% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 54%

Associate, 28%

Master's, 8%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a mechanical systems designer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a mechanical systems designer. 31% of mechanical systems designers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a mechanical systems designer include drafting and design and mechanical engineering technology.

Mechanical Engineering, 31%

Drafting And Design, 23%

Mechanical Engineering Technology, 8%

Automotive Technology, 5%

Other Majors, 33%

Most common colleges for mechanical systems designers

Mechanical systems designers often get their degrees at Wichita State University, Delaware Technical Community College, and Missouri University of Science and Technology. Here are the most common colleges for mechanical systems designers in the US based on their resumes.

Mechanical systems designer common college	Percentages
Wichita State University	7.69%
Delaware Technical Community College	7.69%
Missouri University of Science and Technology	7.69%
Lawrence Technological University	7.69%
University of Maryland - College Park	7.69%

Show more common mechanical systems designer colleges

Best majors for mechanical systems designers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	30.9%
2	Drafting And Design	22.7%
3	Mechanical Engineering Technology	8.2%
4	Automotive Technology	5.2%
5	Engineering	4.1%

Show more common mechanical systems designer majors

Best colleges for mechanical systems designers

The best colleges for mechanical systems designers are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and California Institute of Technology.

A mechanical systems 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 mechanical systems 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 mechanical systems 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 mechanical systems designers

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3. Construction Site Electrical System Design

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Learn how to design a safe, flexible and durable electrical system for any construction site...

4. Basics of Material selection for mechanical design engineers

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Learn about the fundamentals of materials and their selection for mechanical engineering design for design engineers...

5. Mechanical design and Product development process

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Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...

6. Electrical Low Voltage System Distribution Design

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Design of Power & Lighting Distribution System using Auto CAD, DIALux, & Low Voltage Calculations Using Excel Sheets...

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8. Electrical Control & Protection Systems

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9. Pragmatic System Design

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10. HVAC (PART2) with Revit MEP & Practical Projects

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Engineering Solid Mechanics / Engineering Statics...

16. Mastering the System Design Interview

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Insider tips for your system design interview from a former Amazon hiring manager – plus 6 mock interviews for practice!...

17. HVAC (PART1) with HAPExcelAutoCADManual Calculations

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(1,349)

A Practical Guide in the Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning with Programs & Layouts (Including 4 Practical Projects)...

18. Electrical Control & Protection Systems part 2

4.7

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This course introduces electrical control & protection systems which are a critical part of any electrical substation...

19. The Complete Engineering Mechanics Course

4.5

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Master the fundamentals of mechanics, statics and applied physics and then solve real-world mechanics problems...

20. System Design Interview Guide for Software Architecture

4.6

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Mastering High Level System Design Interview Software Architecture case studies Design patterns Microservices...

Top 10 most affordable universities for mechanical systems designers

The most affordable schools for mechanical systems designers are Brigham Young University, inter american university of puerto rico san german, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.

If the best universities for mechanical systems 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 mechanical systems 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 mechanical systems designers

The hardest universities for mechanical systems designers to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and California Institute of Technology.

Some great schools for mechanical systems 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 mechanical systems 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

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

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

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

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 mechanical systems designers

The easiest schools for mechanical systems 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 mechanical systems 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 mechanical systems 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 mechanical systems designer salary by education level

Mechanical systems designers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $95,186 annually. With a Master's degree, mechanical systems designers earn a median annual income of $86,618 compared to $74,904 for mechanical systems designers with an Bachelor's degree.

Mechanical systems designer education level	Mechanical systems designer salary
Master's Degree	$86,618
Bachelor's Degree	$74,904
Doctorate Degree	$95,186

Mechanical systems designer education FAQs

What is the best college for Mechanical Systems Designers?

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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