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Microelectronics engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a microelectronics engineer. Microelectronics engineers usually study electrical engineering, ceramic sciences and engineering, or physics. 64% of microelectronics engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 14 real microelectronics engineer resumes to see exactly what microelectronics engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for microelectronics engineers are the Alfred University and the Alfred University.

There are also many online microelectronics engineer courses to help get the education required to be a microelectronics engineer.

What education do you need to become a microelectronics engineer?

What degree do you need to be a microelectronics engineer?

The most common degree for microelectronics engineers is bachelor's degree, with 64% of microelectronics engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 27% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 64%
  • Master's, 27%
  • Associate, 9%

What should I major in to become a microelectronics engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a microelectronics engineer. 27% of microelectronics engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a microelectronics engineer include ceramic sciences and engineering and physics.

Most common colleges for microelectronics engineers

Microelectronics engineers often get their degrees at Alfred University, Villanova University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Here are the most common colleges for microelectronics engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Microelectronics engineer common collegePercentages
Alfred University22.22%
Villanova University11.11%
Virginia Commonwealth University11.11%
University of Maryland - College Park11.11%
Le Moyne College11.11%

Best majors for microelectronics engineers

RankMajorPercentages
1Electrical Engineering27.3%
2Ceramic Sciences And Engineering18.2%
3Physics18.2%
4Engineering And Industrial Management9.1%
5Engineering9.1%

Best colleges for microelectronics engineers

The best colleges for microelectronics engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A microelectronics 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 microelectronics 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 microelectronics engineers.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

4. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

In-state tuition

$15,374

Enrollment

19,564

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for microelectronics engineers

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4. Electricity for Electronics, Electrical Engineering A-Z 2023

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Fundamentals of Electricity & Electric Circuits for Electronics - Circuit Design - Electrical Engineering...

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Exam AZ-500: Microsoft Aure Security Engineer is an intermediate-level certification for Security Engineers and Analysts. It is an important and fundamental exam for Security Engineers. This AZ-500 exam validates your skills such as implementing, managing, and monitoring security for resources in Azure,multi-cloud, and hybrid environments as part of an end-to-end infrastructure. Also, recommend security components and configurations to protect identity & access, data, applications, and networks...

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13. Electrical Engineering Simulations with Etap

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14. Etap for Electrical Engineers

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Design, Simulate and Analyze Power systems in Etap...

15. Ultimate Electrical Machines for Electrical Engineering

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16. AutoCAD Electrical for Electrical and Automation Engineers

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17. Mastering the Seven Basic Quality Improvement Tools [2022]

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20. Process/Chemical Engineering - BOOTCAMP 2021

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Top 10 most affordable universities for microelectronics engineers

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

If the best universities for microelectronics 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 microelectronics engineers.

1. United States Merchant Marine Academy

Kings Point, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$1,080

Cost of attendance

6,646

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for microelectronics engineers

The hardest universities for microelectronics engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for microelectronics 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 microelectronics 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

10. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for microelectronics engineers

The easiest schools for microelectronics engineers to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, the university of texas at el paso, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a microelectronics 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 microelectronics engineers.

1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

2. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

5. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

6. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

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

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

9. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

10. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

Average microelectronics engineer salary by education level

According to our data, microelectronics engineers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $81,006 annually. Microelectronics engineers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $71,471.
Microelectronics engineer education levelMicroelectronics engineer salary
Master's Degree$81,006
Bachelor's Degree$71,471
Some College/ Associate Degree$59,254

Microelectronics engineer 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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