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Non-destructive testing engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a non-destructive testing engineer. Non-destructive testing engineers usually study engineering, business, or mechanical engineering. 63% of non-destructive testing engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 34 real non-destructive testing engineer resumes to see exactly what non-destructive testing engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for non-destructive testing engineers are the Olympic College and the Olympic College.

There are also many online non-destructive testing engineer courses to help get the education required to be a non-destructive testing engineer.

What education do you need to become a non-destructive testing engineer?

What degree do you need to be a non-destructive testing engineer?

The most common degree for non-destructive testing engineers is bachelor's degree, with 63% of non-destructive testing engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Associate, 21%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a non-destructive testing engineer?

You should major in engineering to become a non-destructive testing engineer. 13% of non-destructive testing engineers major in engineering. Other common majors for a non-destructive testing engineer include business and mechanical engineering.

Most common colleges for non-destructive testing engineers

Non-destructive testing engineers often get their degrees at Olympic College, University of Houston, and University of Southern Mississippi. Here are the most common colleges for non-destructive testing engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Non-destructive testing engineer common collegePercentages
Olympic College6.25%
University of Houston6.25%
University of Southern Mississippi6.25%
South Seattle College6.25%
Northeastern University6.25%

Best majors for non-destructive testing engineers

Best colleges for non-destructive testing engineers

The best colleges for non-destructive testing engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A non-destructive testing 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 non-destructive testing 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 non-destructive testing engineers.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Missouri University of Science and Technology

Rolla, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,440

Enrollment

6,785

3. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for non-destructive testing engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for non-destructive testing engineers

The most affordable schools for non-destructive testing engineers are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for non-destructive testing 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 non-destructive testing engineers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

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 - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

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 non-destructive testing engineers

The hardest universities for non-destructive testing engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for non-destructive testing 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 non-destructive testing 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

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

5. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for non-destructive testing engineers

The easiest schools for non-destructive testing engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a non-destructive testing 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 non-destructive testing engineers.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

7. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

8. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

Average non-destructive testing engineer salary by education level

According to our data, non-destructive testing engineers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $98,404 annually. Non-destructive testing engineers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $63,322.
Non-destructive testing engineer education levelNon-destructive testing engineer salary
Master's Degree$98,404
Bachelor's Degree$63,322

Non-destructive testing 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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