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Network engineer/analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a network engineer/analyst. Network engineers/analyst usually study electrical engineering, computer science, or business. 63% of network engineers/analyst hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 341 real network engineer/analyst resumes to see exactly what network engineer/analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for network engineers/analyst are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.

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

What education do you need to become a network engineer/analyst?

What degree do you need to be a network engineer/analyst?

The most common degree for network engineers/analyst is bachelor's degree, with 63% of network engineers/analyst earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Associate, 21%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a network engineer/analyst?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a network engineer/analyst. 15% of network engineers/analyst major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a network engineer/analyst include computer science and business.

Most common colleges for network engineers/analyst

Network engineers/analyst often get their degrees at DeVry University, University of Phoenix, and George Mason University. Here are the most common colleges for network engineers/analyst in the US based on their resumes.
Network engineer/analyst common collegePercentages
DeVry University13.79%
University of Phoenix12.07%
George Mason University6.90%
Georgia State University5.17%
University of Miami5.17%

Best majors for network engineers/analyst

Best colleges for network engineers/analyst

The best colleges for network engineers/analyst are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A network engineer/analyst 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 engineers/analyst. 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 engineers/analyst.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Enrollment

2,120

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$33,950

Enrollment

4,254

20 best online courses for network engineers/analyst

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6. TCP/IP Training Video A Definitive & Easy To Follow Course

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7. Master Class: TCP/IP Mechanics from Scratch to Expert

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8. Networking Concepts with Socket Programming - Academic Level

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12. Fundamentals of Network Engineering

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13. Microsoft Networking Fundamentals

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Learn Windows-based networking, network management tools, DNS, TCP/IP, network protocols and much more!...

14. Ansible for Network Engineers: Quick Start GNS3 & Ansible

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15. Java Network Programming - Mastering TCP/IP: CJNP+ 2023 JVA

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16. Introduction to Networking 2 Hour Crash Course

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17. Virtual Private Networks for beginners - VPN, Cisco training

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18. Networking Essentials

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Gain the essential knowledge and skills required to configure, troubleshoot, manage and protect a data network...

19. Python Programming for Network Engineers: Cisco, Netmiko ++

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Network Programmability and Network Automation using GNS3 and Python for Cisco engineers: Telnet, SSH, Paramiko, Netmiko...

20. Linux for Network Engineers: Practical Linux with GNS3

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Linux for Networking Engineers (CCNA, CCNP, CCIE etc). Practical Linux with GNS3 = network programmability & automation...

Top 10 most affordable universities for network engineers/analyst

The most affordable schools for network engineers/analyst are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for network engineers/analyst 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 engineers/analyst.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for network engineers/analyst

The hardest universities for network engineers/analyst to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for network engineers/analyst 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 engineers/analyst 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for network engineers/analyst

The easiest schools for network engineers/analyst to get into are Kean University, capitol technology university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a network engineer/analyst 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 engineers/analyst.

1. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

7. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

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

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

Average network engineer/analyst salary by education level

Network engineers/analyst with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $96,415 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, network engineers/analyst earn a median annual income of $92,822 compared to $83,495 for network engineers/analyst with an Associate degree.
Network engineer/analyst education levelNetwork engineer/analyst salary
Master's Degree$96,415
High School Diploma or Less$82,358
Bachelor's Degree$92,822
Some College/ Associate Degree$83,495

Network engineer/analyst 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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