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Principal technologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a principal technologist. Principal technologists usually study business, electrical engineering, or computer science. 59% of principal technologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,786 real principal technologist resumes to see exactly what principal technologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for principal technologists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online principal technologist courses to help get the education required to be a principal technologist.
What education do you need to become a principal technologist?
What degree do you need to be a principal technologist?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 14%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a principal technologist?
- Business, 17%
- Computer Science, 15%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for principal technologists
| Principal technologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.83% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 8.60% |
| University of Houston | 8.60% |
| Northeastern University | 6.99% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 6.45% |
Best majors for principal technologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 17.0% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 15.6% |
| 3 | Computer Science | 14.5% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 5.8% |
| 5 | Mathematics | 5.0% |
Best colleges for principal technologists
The best colleges for principal technologists are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
A principal technologist 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 technologists. 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 technologists.
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. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for principal technologists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for principal technologists
The most affordable schools for principal technologists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - los angeles, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for principal technologists 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 technologists.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for principal technologists
The hardest universities for principal technologists to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for principal technologists 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 technologists 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
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. 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 technologists
The easiest schools for principal technologists to get into are Capitol Technology University, barry university, and ottawa university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a principal technologist 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 technologists.
1. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
4. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
5. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
10. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
Average principal technologist salary by education level
| Principal technologist education level | Principal technologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $134,857 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $128,136 |
| Doctorate Degree | $137,057 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $111,124 |
Principal technologist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025