Best Colleges For Process & Automation Engineers

In a lot of cases, a higher education can mean a higher salary or even a better job. That's why we found out the best colleges for process & automation engineers. We based this list on these metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of students working, ratio of working vs. non-working students 10 years after admission, average cost of attendance and median debt for graduates.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

Process & Automation Engineer Education Requirements

There are several education requirements to become a process & automation engineer. Process & automation engineers usually study electrical engineering, chemical engineering or mechanical engineering. 78% of process & automation engineers hold a bachelor's degree and 12% hold a master's degree. We found these by analyzing 248 process & automation engineer resumes to investigate the topic of process & automation engineer education more precisely.

The most common colleges for students to pursue their goal of becoming a process & automation engineer are Purdue University and Georgia Institute of Technology.

For those who would rather stay in your pajamas during the day, we prepared some online courses that can help in process & automation engineer education paths.

What Education Do You Need To Become a Process & Automation Engineer?

What degree do you need to be a Process & Automation Engineer?

The most common degree for process & automation engineers is bachelor's degree 78% of process & automation engineers earn that degree. A close second is master's degree with 12% and rounding it off is associate degree with 6%.

  • Bachelors, 78%
  • Masters, 12%
  • Associate, 6%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What Should I Major in to Become a Process & Automation Engineer?

Most process & automation engineers, 25% to be exact, major in electrical engineering. Some other common majors for a process & automation engineer include chemical engineering and mechanical engineering majors.

Most Common Colleges For Process & Automation Engineers

Here are the most common colleges for a process & automation engineer career in the US based on their resumes. Advocates often get their degree in Purdue University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Northeastern University .

Process & Automation Engineer Common CollegePercentages
Purdue University12.96%
Georgia Institute of Technology11.11%
Northeastern University7.41%
University of Washington5.56%
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus5.56%

Best Majors For Process & Automation Engineers

20 Best Online Courses for Process & Automation Engineers

Advertising Disclosure

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5. RPA - Process Automation using UIPATH - Beginner to Expert

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All-in-one course with IQ Bot (AI + ML) & Bot Insight Demos (Analytics) & Advanced Use Cases...

7. From Wire to PLC, A Bootcamp In Industrial Automation

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13. Process Improvement

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16. Power Automate - Complete Guide to Microsoft Power Automate

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17. Advanced Process Control & Safety Instrumented Systems SIS

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Learn how the main process equipment such as chemical reactors, pumps, compressors & heat exchangers are controlled...

18. Business Process Mapping

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The complete guide to map any business process...

19. Operations Management A-Z: Business Processes and Systems

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20. Process/Chemical Engineering - BOOTCAMP 2021

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The only course with over 10 hours practical knowledge about main process equipment Design, Control and Safety...

Top 10 Affordable Universities For Process & Automation Engineers

If those top 10 were a bit out of your price range, you might want to check these schools instead. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price and mean earnings after 6 years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for process & automation engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,381

Cost of Attendance

21,034

2. United States Merchant Marine Academy

Kings Point, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$1,080

Cost of Attendance

6,646

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,798

Cost of Attendance

18,306

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Cost of Attendance

16,091

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$4,094

Cost of Attendance

14,302

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Cost of Attendance

16,714

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,749

Cost of Attendance

14,823

8. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,770

Cost of Attendance

21,244

9. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,140

Cost of Attendance

14,430

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,410

Cost of Attendance

20,456

Top 10 Hardest Universities To Get Into For Process & Automation Engineers

Some people like a challenge. Well, we challenge you to get into one of these schools. It's not going to be easy. We know this based on these institutions' admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted and mean earnings of students 6 years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions Rate

8%

SAT Average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions Rate

11%

SAT Average

1,513

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. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

11%

SAT Average

1,471

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

17%

SAT Average

1,507

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

6%

SAT Average

1,512

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

13%

SAT Average

1,445

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions Rate

15%

SAT Average

1,506

10. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions Rate

22%

SAT Average

1,465

Top 10 Easier To Apply Universities For Process & Automation Engineers

Why make getting a job harder on yourself than it has to be? With these colleges, you're sure to be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores and average salary of students 6 years after graduation in order to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into.

1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

89%

SAT Average

1,035

2. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions Rate

96%

SAT Average

1,139

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions Rate

68%

SAT Average

964

4. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

80%

SAT Average

1,067

5. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

100%

SAT Average

1,035

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

82%

SAT Average

983

7. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

91%

SAT Average

1,046

8. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions Rate

96%

SAT Average

1,111

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

88%

SAT Average

1,044

10. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions Rate

69%

SAT Average

1,070

Average Process & Automation Engineer Salary by Education Level

Process & automation engineers with a Masters degree earn more than those without, at $98,894 annually. With a Bachelors degree, process & automation engineers earn a median annual income of $90,245 compared to $78,692 for process & automation engineers with an Associate degree.

Process & Automation Engineer Education LevelProcess & Automation Engineer Salary
Master's Degree$98,894
Bachelor's Degree$90,245
Some College/ Associate Degree$78,692