Principal engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a principal engineer. Principal engineers usually study electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or computer science. 66% of principal engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 6,968 real principal engineer resumes to see exactly what principal engineer education sections show.

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

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

There are certain principal engineer certifications that you should consider. These principal engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Six Sigma Green Belt.

What education do you need to become a principal engineer?

What degree do you need to be a principal engineer?

The most common degree for principal engineers is bachelor's degree, with 66% of principal engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 66%

Master's, 22%

Doctorate, 6%

Associate, 4%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a principal engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a principal engineer. 29% of principal engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a principal engineer include mechanical engineering and computer science.

Electrical Engineering, 29%

Mechanical Engineering, 17%

Computer Science, 11%

Civil Engineering, 6%

Other Majors, 37%

Most common colleges for principal engineers

Principal engineers often get their degrees at Northeastern University, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for principal engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Principal engineer common college	Percentages
Northeastern University	9.47%
Pennsylvania State University	7.08%
University of Maryland - College Park	5.94%
Purdue University	5.82%
University of California, Santa Barbara	5.71%

Show more common principal engineer colleges

Best majors for principal engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	28.6%
2	Mechanical Engineering	16.5%
3	Computer Science	10.5%
4	Civil Engineering	6.3%
5	Chemical Engineering	4.9%

Show more common principal engineer majors

Best colleges for principal engineers

The best colleges for principal engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.

A principal 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 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 engineers.

1. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

20 best online courses for principal engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for principal engineers

The most affordable schools for principal engineers are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.

If the best universities for principal 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 engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Beckley, WV • Private

In-state tuition

$7,464

Cost of attendance

17,166

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 principal engineers

The hardest universities for principal engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.

Some great schools for principal 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 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for principal engineers

The easiest schools for principal engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and pennsylvania state university - berks.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a principal 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 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 - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

4. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

5. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

6. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

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. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

10. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

Average principal engineer salary by education level

Principal engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $157,572 annually. With a Master's degree, principal engineers earn a median annual income of $145,589 compared to $128,889 for principal engineers with an Bachelor's degree.

Principal engineer education level	Principal engineer salary
Master's Degree	$145,589
Bachelor's Degree	$128,889
Doctorate Degree	$157,572

Principal engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Principal Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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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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