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Process engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a process engineer. Process engineers usually study chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering. 76% of process engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 29,104 real process engineer resumes to see exactly what process engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for process engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online process engineer courses to help get the education required to be a process engineer.
There are certain process engineer certifications that you should consider. These process engineer certifications include Six Sigma Green Belt and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).
What education do you need to become a process engineer?
What degree do you need to be a process engineer?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 12%
- Associate, 8%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a process engineer?
- Chemical Engineering, 32%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for process engineers
| Process engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 10.58% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 9.63% |
| Texas A&M University | 6.63% |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 6.16% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 5.50% |
Best majors for process engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemical Engineering | 31.8% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 19.2% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 8.8% |
| 4 | Industrial Engineering | 6.1% |
| 5 | Business | 5.4% |
Best colleges for process engineers
The best colleges for process engineers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A process 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 process 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 process engineers.
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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
20 best online courses for process engineers
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5. Process Mining with Celonis
Learn and practice how to combine data science and process mapping techniques to visualize processes with real data...
6. Statistical Process Control (SPC) Using Microsoft Excel
A Deep Dive into Analyzing your Process Data to Drive Quality Improvements within your Organization...
7. The Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)
The 18-step process for ensuring new parts are consistently manufactured and meet their customers' quality expectations...
8. Process Flowcharts & Process Mapping - The Advanced Guide
Enhance your process flowchart knowledge advanced symbols, concepts, and best practices! - ECBA/CCBA/CBAP endorsed...
9. Process/Chemical Engineering - BOOTCAMP 2021
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10. Process Flowcharts & Process Mapping - The Beginner's Guide
Use business analysis to model process flows with real-world examples & project-based hands-on activities -IIBA Endorsed...
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12. Process Capability Analysis
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13. Introduction to Business Process Modeling
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15. The Complete Business Process Management (BPM) Master Class
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17. Operations Management A-Z: Business Processes and Systems
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18. Introduction to Natural Language Processing
Learn basics of Natural Language Processing (NLP), Regular Expressions and Text Pre-processing using Python...
19. Aspen Plus - Basic Process Modeling
Learn how to model Basic Industrial and Chemical Processes!...
20. Mechanical design and Product development process
Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...
Top 10 most affordable universities for process engineers
The most affordable schools for process engineers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for process 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 process engineers.
1. United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$1,080
Cost of attendance
6,646
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
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. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for process engineers
The hardest universities for process engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for process 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 process 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for process engineers
The easiest schools for process engineers to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a process 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 process engineers.
1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
Average process engineer salary by education level
| Process engineer education level | Process engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $94,850 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $85,222 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $72,604 |
Process engineer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025