Principal electrical engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a principal electrical engineer. Principal electrical engineers usually study electrical engineering, electrical engineering technology, or computer engineering. 72% of principal electrical engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 537 real principal electrical engineer resumes to see exactly what principal electrical engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for principal electrical engineers are the Northeastern University and the Northeastern University.

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

What education do you need to become a principal electrical engineer?

What degree do you need to be a principal electrical engineer?

The most common degree for principal electrical engineers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of principal electrical engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 3%.

Bachelor's, 72%

Master's, 20%

Doctorate, 3%

Associate, 3%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a principal electrical engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a principal electrical engineer. 72% of principal electrical engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a principal electrical engineer include electrical engineering technology and computer engineering.

Electrical Engineering, 72%

Electrical Engineering Technology, 6%

Computer Engineering, 3%

Engineering, 3%

Other Majors, 16%

Most common colleges for principal electrical engineers

Principal electrical engineers often get their degrees at Northeastern University, Pennsylvania State University, and Texas A&M; University. Here are the most common colleges for principal electrical engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Principal electrical engineer common college	Percentages
Northeastern University	12.37%
Pennsylvania State University	10.31%
Texas A&M University	8.25%
National University	7.22%
Purdue University	6.19%

Show more common principal electrical engineer colleges

Best majors for principal electrical engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	72.4%
2	Electrical Engineering Technology	5.5%
3	Computer Engineering	3.3%
4	Engineering	3.3%
5	Business	3.0%

Show more common principal electrical engineer majors

Best colleges for principal electrical engineers

The best colleges for principal electrical engineers are Northeastern University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A principal electrical 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 principal electrical 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 principal electrical engineers.

1. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

2. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$33,950

Enrollment

4,254

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Enrollment

24,841

20 best online courses for principal electrical engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for principal electrical engineers

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

If the best universities for principal electrical 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 principal electrical 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. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. National University College - Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$6,675

Cost of attendance

12,941

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for principal electrical engineers

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

Some great schools for principal electrical 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 principal electrical 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

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

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

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 principal electrical engineers

The easiest schools for principal electrical 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 principal electrical 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 principal electrical 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. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

9. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average principal electrical engineer salary by education level

According to our data, principal electrical engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $145,304 annually. Principal electrical engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $132,640.

Principal electrical engineer education level	Principal electrical engineer salary
Master's Degree	$132,640
Bachelor's Degree	$119,123
Doctorate Degree	$145,304

Principal electrical engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Principal Electrical Engineers?

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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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