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Network and communication engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a network and communication engineer. Network and communication engineers usually study electrical engineering, computer networking, or business. 64% of network and communication engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 195 real network and communication engineer resumes to see exactly what network and communication engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for network and communication engineers are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.
There are also many online network and communication engineer courses to help get the education required to be a network and communication engineer.
What education do you need to become a network and communication engineer?
What degree do you need to be a network and communication engineer?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Associate, 25%
- Master's, 8%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become a network and communication engineer?
- Computer Networking, 14%
- Business, 8%
- Computer Science, 8%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for network and communication engineers
| Network and communication engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Florida | 11.43% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.57% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 8.57% |
| Bethune - Cookman University | 5.71% |
| Strayer University | 5.71% |
Best majors for network and communication engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 18.2% |
| 2 | Computer Networking | 13.6% |
| 3 | Business | 8.2% |
| 4 | Computer Science | 8.2% |
| 5 | Information Technology | 7.3% |
Best colleges for network and communication engineers
The best colleges for network and communication engineers are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A network and communication 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 network and communication 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 network and communication engineers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
7. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$53,880
Enrollment
6,590
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Enrollment
2,120
20 best online courses for network and communication engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for network and communication engineers
The most affordable schools for network and communication engineers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for network and communication 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 network and communication engineers.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
9. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Cost of attendance
24,718
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for network and communication engineers
The hardest universities for network and communication engineers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for network and communication 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 network and communication 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,415
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for network and communication engineers
The easiest schools for network and communication engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame college, and lim college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a network and communication 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 network and communication engineers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
3. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
8. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
9. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
10. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
Average network and communication engineer salary by education level
| Network and communication engineer education level | Network and communication engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $100,838 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $87,327 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $97,402 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $88,427 |
Network and communication engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025