Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Plant equipment engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a plant equipment engineer. Plant equipment engineers usually study mechanical engineering, drafting and design, or management. 77% of plant equipment engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 46 real plant equipment engineer resumes to see exactly what plant equipment engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for plant equipment engineers are the Wayne State University and the Wayne State University.
There are also many online plant equipment engineer courses to help get the education required to be a plant equipment engineer.
What education do you need to become a plant equipment engineer?
What degree do you need to be a plant equipment engineer?
- Bachelor's, 77%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Associate, 9%
- Diploma, 5%
What should I major in to become a plant equipment engineer?
- Drafting And Design, 12%
- Management, 8%
- Engineering, 8%
- Other Majors, 22%
Most common colleges for plant equipment engineers
| Plant equipment engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Wayne State University | 16.67% |
| University of Toledo | 11.11% |
| Stevens Institute of Technology | 11.11% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 5.56% |
| Columbia Basin College | 5.56% |
Best majors for plant equipment engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 50.0% |
| 2 | Drafting And Design | 11.5% |
| 3 | Management | 7.7% |
| 4 | Engineering | 7.7% |
| 5 | Business | 3.8% |
Best colleges for plant equipment engineers
The best colleges for plant equipment engineers are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A plant equipment 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 plant equipment 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 plant equipment engineers.
1. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$53,880
Enrollment
6,590
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,646
Enrollment
5,736
10. Missouri University of Science and Technology
Rolla, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$9,440
Enrollment
6,785
20 best online courses for plant equipment engineers
Advertising disclosure
1. Electrical Power Equipment
Learn how electrical equipments operate and how they fit together into a network...
2. Rotating Equipment Masterclass: Pumps & Compressors
A compelete understanding of pumps & compressors used in process industries for a successful operation of your facility...
3. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment
Impress management or get that job with you your ability to display life and dollar saving work place safety practices...
4. Functional Safety for Safety Instrumented Systems
The most complete course available on Functional Safety. 2+ hours of videos, case studies, assignments, & more...
5. Reliability and Maintenance Engineering - FMEA
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis - A mechanical engineering approach to risk management of plant and machinery...
6. Real World SAP - Plant Maintenance Orders and Notifications
Learn SAP PM / EAM with a focus on real world scenarios...
7. Operations Management A-Z: Business Processes and Systems
Operations Management: Supply Chain & Business Processes in Industry for Manufacturing and Services Organizations...
8. Centrifugal pumps: Principles , Operation and Design
A complete understanding of construction details and functioning of centrifugal pumps for successful plant operation...
9. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System
Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...
10. SAP Plant Maintenance(PM) Module Online Classes
Functional Module SAP Plant Maintenance(PM) with Configuration...
11. MBA: Supply Chain and Operation management
Tactics, Tools, and Techniques required to become a Supply chain and operation manager...
12. Operations Management: Facilities Planning and Management
Operations Management Training Program (Course 8 of 8)...
13. Operating Systems Final Part (4): File Systems & Threads
Learn the concepts of Operating Systems from scratch as Operating System forms the core of Computer Science...
14. Operating Systems Part 3: Synchronization and Deadlock
Learn the concepts of Operating Systems from scratch as Operating System forms the core of Computer Science...
15. Inventory Management: Safety Stock Calculation and Control
Optimize your Supply Chain Safety Stock. Simple to Advanced Methods. Reduce Costs and Risk in your Business Operations...
16. Operational Risks Management ORM
Operational Risks Management ORM Case Studies for Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, IS Security, Banking Professionals...
17. Heat Exchangers: Design , Operation & Maintenance
A complete understanding of construction details , functionning and design of heat exchangers for successful operation...
18. Operations Management in small businesses: key techniques
A toolkit for making small business operations effective and efficient...
19. Unit Operations in Chemical Engineering
Learn the most important Unit Operations in Chemical Plants...
20. Advanced Process Control & Safety Instrumented Systems SIS
Learn how the main process equipment such as chemical reactors , pumps , compressors & heat exchangers are controlled...
Top 10 most affordable universities for plant equipment engineers
The most affordable schools for plant equipment engineers are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for plant equipment 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 plant equipment 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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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 plant equipment engineers
The hardest universities for plant equipment engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for plant equipment 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 plant equipment 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for plant equipment engineers
The easiest schools for plant equipment engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, oregon institute of technology, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a plant equipment 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 plant equipment engineers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
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. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
10. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
Average plant equipment engineer salary by education level
| Plant equipment engineer education level | Plant equipment engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $108,143 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $93,851 |
| Doctorate Degree | $118,567 |
Plant equipment engineer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for plant equipment engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025