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Product development engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a product development engineer. Product development engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or chemical engineering. 75% of product development engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 5,946 real product development engineer resumes to see exactly what product development engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for product development engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online product development engineer courses to help get the education required to be a product development engineer.
There are certain product development engineer certifications that you should consider. These product development engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Six Sigma Green Belt.
What education do you need to become a product development engineer?
What degree do you need to be a product development engineer?
- Bachelor's, 75%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a product development engineer?
- Other Majors, 33%
Most common colleges for product development engineers
| Product development engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 10.90% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 8.15% |
| Drexel University | 6.61% |
| Michigan Technological University | 6.17% |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 5.95% |
Best majors for product development engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 40.6% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 14.3% |
| 3 | Chemical Engineering | 7.0% |
| 4 | Biomedical Engineering | 5.2% |
| 5 | Mechanical Engineering Technology | 3.8% |
Best colleges for product development engineers
The best colleges for product development engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.
A product development 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 product development 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 product development 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 product development engineers
Advertising disclosure
1. Strategic Product Development
This course discusses how companies create new products that customers want while achieving their financial objectives. Learners begin by defining the product strategies necessary to ensure a company’s long-term growth. Learners then explore the different product development processes used by high-tech businesses today, such as Stage-Gate and Lean/Agile techniques. Learners conclude by illustrating the tools to build the high-performance teams that take the development process from concept...
2. Engineering and Product Design Processes
Welcome to “Engineering and Product Design Processes!” In this short course, you will learn how engineering design processes and product design processes are carried out. After the course, you will be familiar with the steps in both design processes. You will also be familiar with the main goal of each design process, as well as their similarities and differences...
3. Product Development & Systems Engineering
The complete Product Development & Systems Engineering course! Earn 25 contact hours AND prepare to take the INCOSE Exam...
4. Mechanical design and Product development process
Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...
5. Machine Learning Engineering for Production (MLOps)
Understanding machine learning and deep learning concepts is essential, but if you’re looking to build an effective AI career, you need production engineering capabilities as well.\n\nEffectively deploying machine learning models requires competencies more commonly found in technical fields such as software engineering and DevOps. Machine learning engineering for production combines the foundational concepts of machine learning with the functional expertise of modern software development and...
6. Manufacturing Guide for Mechanical Product Development
Learn how everyday physical products are manufactured with no prior experience in engineering...
7. Technical Product Management: learn on 4 real industry cases
Boost your technicality (as a PM) or tech product skills (as an engineer) to grow in your current role...
8. Product Design Management for Agile Practitioners
Application of product design management principles, concepts, tools and techniques in agile product management...
9. Product Management Crash Course; IT Product Management
Product Management Essentials & Product Management Fundamentals to kick-start your career in Product Management...
10. Comprehensive Product management for Product managers
Become a great product manager with comprehensive product management Real world case study with JIRA & Confluence...
11. Insightful Customer Interviews for Product Managers
Direct conversations with real customers to gain insight, test product concepts, and drive product success...
12. Improving software development productivity
Improving software development productivity. Practical techniques...
13. ISO 13485:2016 - Design and Development of Medical Devices
Design and Development of Medical Devices in the perspective of ISO 13485:2016 and Medical Devices Industry...
14. 50 Personal Development And Personal Productivity Skills
Personal transformation to be a top-1% performer! Personal development, business productivity, and personal productivity...
15. Introduction to Automotive Product Design & development
Learn about the process, milestones and activities from idea to complete design of cars for Automotive engineers...
16. The Product Management for AI & Data Science Course
The Complete Course for Becoming a Successful Product Manager in the Field of AI & Data Science...
17. Product Management Fundamentals
Case-based practical course on product management to build strong foundations in product concepts, process & frameworks...
18. Product Management 101
Learn to become a more strategic product manager - and have a greater impact on your company and your products...
19. Great Product Manager: Product Management by a Big Tech's PM
Become a Great Product Manager! Land your dream job with Big Tech's Senior Product Manager...
20. Product Management: Mastering Product Roadmaps 2023
A complete guide to building a roadmap that works for both your product team and your stakeholders...
Top 10 most affordable universities for product development engineers
The most affordable schools for product development engineers are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.
If the best universities for product development 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 product development 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 product development engineers
The hardest universities for product development engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.
Some great schools for product development 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 product development 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
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
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
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 product development engineers
The easiest schools for product development 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 product development 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 product development 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 product development engineer salary by education level
| Product development engineer education level | Product development engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $95,181 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $85,286 |
| Doctorate Degree | $102,213 |
Product development engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025