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Network implementation engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a network implementation engineer. Network implementation engineers usually study electrical engineering, business, or computer information systems. 64% of network implementation engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 377 real network implementation engineer resumes to see exactly what network implementation engineer education sections show.

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

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

There are certain network implementation engineer certifications that you should consider. These network implementation engineer certifications include Cisco Certified Network Associate Security (CCNA) and CCIE Routing & Switching (CCIE).

What education do you need to become a network implementation engineer?

What degree do you need to be a network implementation engineer?

The most common degree for network implementation engineers is bachelor's degree, with 64% of network implementation engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 64%
  • Associate, 21%
  • Master's, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a network implementation engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a network implementation engineer. 26% of network implementation engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a network implementation engineer include business and computer information systems.

Most common colleges for network implementation engineers

Network implementation engineers often get their degrees at DeVry University, George Mason University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for network implementation engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Network implementation engineer common collegePercentages
DeVry University12.50%
George Mason University8.93%
University of Maryland - College Park8.93%
Rochester Institute of Technology7.14%
San Jose State University5.36%

Best majors for network implementation engineers

Best colleges for network implementation engineers

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

A network implementation 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 implementation 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 implementation engineers.

1. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

3. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

4. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Enrollment

24,841

5. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,785

Enrollment

7,711

6. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

7. Milwaukee School of Engineering

Milwaukee, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$40,749

Enrollment

2,582

8. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

9. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

10. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$19,080

Enrollment

19,127

20 best online courses for network implementation engineers

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Implementing a Cisco ASA Firewall 9.X - All - in - One...

5. Computer Network Cabling: Ethernet Wiring Infrastructure

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7. Networking Concepts with Socket Programming - Academic Level

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8. CCNP Switch 642-813 Implementing Cisco IP Switched Networks

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Implementing Cisco IP Switched Networks...

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10. Introduction to Networking 2 Hour Crash Course

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17. GCP - Google Cloud Professional Cloud Network Engineer

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18. Wireless Networking Fundamentals

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19. Ethical Hacking: Network Security & Network Layer Attack

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

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Top 10 most affordable universities for network implementation engineers

The most affordable schools for network implementation engineers are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and inter american university of puerto rico bayamon.

If the best universities for network implementation 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 implementation engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Beckley, WV • Private

In-state tuition

$7,464

Cost of attendance

17,166

9. National University College - Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$6,675

Cost of attendance

12,941

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for network implementation engineers

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

Some great schools for network implementation 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 implementation 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

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. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

8. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

9. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

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

The easiest schools for network implementation 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 implementation 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 implementation 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. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

5. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

6. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

7. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

8. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

9. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average network implementation engineer salary by education level

Network implementation engineers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $99,589 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, network implementation engineers earn a median annual income of $96,668 compared to $88,968 for network implementation engineers with an Associate degree.
Network implementation engineer education levelNetwork implementation engineer salary
Master's Degree$99,589
High School Diploma or Less$88,017
Bachelor's Degree$96,668
Some College/ Associate Degree$88,968

Network implementation 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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