Network engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a network engineer. Network engineers usually study electrical engineering, computer science, or computer information systems. 62% of network engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 36,871 real network engineer resumes to see exactly what network engineer education sections show.

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

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

There are certain network engineer certifications that you should consider. These network engineer certifications include CCNA Routing and Switching Certification (CCNA RS) and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).

What education do you need to become a network engineer?

What degree do you need to be a network engineer?

The most common degree for network engineers is bachelor's degree, with 62% of network engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 62%

Associate, 21%

Master's, 10%

Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a network engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a network engineer. 19% of network engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a network engineer include computer science and computer information systems.

Electrical Engineering, 19%

Computer Science, 16%

Computer Information Systems, 10%

Business, 9%

Other Majors, 46%

Most common colleges for network engineers

Network engineers often get their degrees at DeVry University, University of Phoenix, and Strayer University. Here are the most common colleges for network engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Network engineer common college	Percentages
DeVry University	17.94%
University of Phoenix	15.58%
Strayer University	9.58%
University of Maryland - College Park	8.97%
George Mason University	6.71%

Show more common network engineer colleges

Best majors for network engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	18.7%
2	Computer Science	16.1%
3	Computer Information Systems	9.9%
4	Business	9.2%
5	Information Technology	8.6%

Show more common network engineer majors

Best colleges for network engineers

The best colleges for network engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A network 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 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 engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Enrollment

24,841

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

10. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

20 best online courses for network engineers

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3. General Networking - wireless, routers, firewalls, Cisco NAS

4.4

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

4.8

(3,873)

Ansible for Network Engineers with GNS3, Ansible and Cisco IOS. Learn Network Automation & Programmability = the future...

5. Mastering Modbus TCP/IP Network Communication

4.8

(1,422)

Learn how to design, build and troubleshoot Modbus TCP/IP client-server networks...

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

4.7

(798)

Networking Course, UDP, TCP IP protocol Suite, Flow and Congestion Control, CCNA and others, TCP/IP Complete Course...

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

4.3

(1,300)

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

8. Java Network Programming - TCP/IP Socket Programming

4.2

(604)

Learn how to write powerful network applications...

9. Introduction to Networking

4.6

(678)

IPv4, Subnetting, DNS, DHCP, IPv6, Routing and Switching...

10. Python Network Programming for Network Engineers (Python 3)

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11. Fundamentals of Network Engineering

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15. 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...

16. CCNA Security Real World Labs - Cisco ASA, Network Security

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Identify, lock down, and secure vulnerabilities in a small to medium enterprise branch network - real world training...

17. GCP - Google Cloud Professional Cloud Network Engineer

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Pass Google Cloud Professional Network Certification with 15+ Hours of HD quality video and 90+ Hands-on Practical labs...

18. The World of Computer Networking. Your CCNA starts here

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Learn everything about Internet - Ethernet, IP, Routing, Switching, TCP, UDP, NAT, DHCP and DNS, prepare for CCNA exam...

19. Introduction to Networking 2 Hour Crash Course

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Learn the basics of IP, Ethernet, VPNs, WANs, DHCP, DNS, and more with no prior knowledge required...

20. Python for Network Engineers: Netmiko, NAPALM, pyntc, Telnet

4.9

(2,324)

Program networks using Python. Learn network automation and programmability with this practical course (Cisco networks)...

Top 10 most affordable universities for network engineers

The most affordable schools for network engineers are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - bakersfield, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for network 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 engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for network engineers

The hardest universities for network engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for network 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 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

9. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

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

The easiest schools for network engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and pennsylvania state university - altoona.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

4. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

5. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

6. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

7. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

8. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

9. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

10. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

Average network engineer salary by education level

According to our data, network engineers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $92,877 annually. Network engineers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $89,932.

Network engineer education level	Network engineer salary
Master's Degree	$92,877
High School Diploma or Less	$81,254
Bachelor's Degree	$89,932
Some College/ Associate Degree	$82,204

Network engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Network Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

Search for network engineer jobs

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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