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Network operations/network engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a network operations/network engineer. Network operations/network engineers usually study electrical engineering, computer science, or computer information systems. 62% of network operations/network engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,584 real network operations/network engineer resumes to see exactly what network operations/network engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for network operations/network engineers are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.
There are also many online network operations/network engineer courses to help get the education required to be a network operations/network engineer.
There are certain network operations/network engineer certifications that you should consider. These network operations/network engineer certifications include CCNP Service Provider Operations (CCNP) and Cisco Certified Network Associate Security (CCNA).
What education do you need to become a network operations/network engineer?
What degree do you need to be a network operations/network engineer?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Associate, 22%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a network operations/network engineer?
- Computer Science, 14%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for network operations/network engineers
| Network operations/network engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| DeVry University | 13.33% |
| University of Phoenix | 12.00% |
| Strayer University | 9.33% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 8.67% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 5.33% |
Best majors for network operations/network engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 19.3% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 13.7% |
| 3 | Computer Information Systems | 11.4% |
| 4 | Information Technology | 9.5% |
| 5 | Computer Networking | 8.3% |
Best colleges for network operations/network engineers
The best colleges for network operations/network engineers are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A network operations/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 operations/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 operations/network engineers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
5. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$19,080
Enrollment
19,127
6. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Enrollment
4,169
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,646
Enrollment
5,736
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
20 best online courses for network operations/network engineers
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18. Networking Essentials
Gain the essential knowledge and skills required to configure, troubleshoot, manage and protect a data network...
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20. Virtual Private Networks for beginners - VPN, Cisco training
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Top 10 most affordable universities for network operations/network engineers
The most affordable schools for network operations/network engineers are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - bakersfield, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for network operations/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 operations/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. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for network operations/network engineers
The hardest universities for network operations/network engineers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for network operations/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 operations/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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for network operations/network engineers
The easiest schools for network operations/network engineers to get into are Capitol Technology University, oregon institute of technology, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a network operations/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 operations/network engineers.
1. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
2. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona
Altoona, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,094
5. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
6. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,148
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
9. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average network operations/network engineer salary by education level
| Network operations/network engineer education level | Network operations/network engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $110,322 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $95,886 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $106,656 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $97,063 |
Network operations/network engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025