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Production engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a production engineer. Production engineers usually study mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or electrical engineering. 76% of production engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 7,377 real production engineer resumes to see exactly what production engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for production engineers are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.
There are also many online production engineer courses to help get the education required to be a production engineer.
There are certain production engineer certifications that you should consider. These production engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Six Sigma Green Belt.
What education do you need to become a production engineer?
What degree do you need to be a production engineer?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 9%
- Associate, 8%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a production engineer?
- Chemical Engineering, 17%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for production engineers
| Production engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas A&M University | 12.71% |
| Purdue University | 8.04% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.78% |
| Texas Tech University | 6.74% |
| Colorado School of Mines | 6.10% |
Best majors for production engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 26.9% |
| 2 | Chemical Engineering | 16.9% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 10.8% |
| 4 | Petroleum Engineering | 8.0% |
| 5 | Industrial Engineering | 5.8% |
Best colleges for production engineers
The best colleges for production engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Stanford University.
A production 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 production 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 production engineers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
4. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
20 best online courses for production engineers
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2. 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...
3. Mechanical design and Product development process
Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...
4. Product Development & Systems Engineering
The complete Product Development & Systems Engineering course! Earn 25 contact hours AND prepare to take the INCOSE Exam...
5. Architecting with Google Kubernetes Engine: Production
In this course, "Architecting with Google Kubernetes Engine: Production," you'll learn about Kubernetes and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) security; logging and monitoring; and using Google Cloud managed storage and database services from within GKE. This is the final course of the Architecting with Google Kubernetes Engine series. After completing this course, enroll in the Reliable Google Cloud Infrastructure: Design and Process course or the Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure Foundations with...
6. Ready to Roll – The Video Production Process
If you’ve done your pre-production thoroughly, then you should feel confident moving on to this next step — gathering the raw materials that you will use to build your visual story. These raw materials are your camera shots, including b-roll and interviews. The production stage is where you will finally collect the images and sound that will communicate directly to your audience. We’ll show you how to enhance your visual story by raising the quality of your shots: getting proper exposure, using...
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. Technical Product Management: learn on 4 real industry cases
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9. Process/Chemical Engineering - BOOTCAMP 2021
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10. Process Improvement
#1 Process Improvement course: The step by step guide on how to deliver effective and lasting process improvements...
11. Complete Field Instrumentation Engineering Course
Flow, Level, Temperature and Pressure Instrument - Selection, Sizing, Calculation and Detail Engineering...
12. Manufacturing Guide for Mechanical Product Development
Learn how everyday physical products are manufactured with no prior experience in engineering...
13. Root Cause Analysis and the 8D Corrective Action Process
A Comprehensive Approach to Problem Solving: Analysis, Containment, and Permanent Corrective Action...
14. Process Mining with Celonis
Learn and practice how to combine data science and process mapping techniques to visualize processes with real data...
15. Certified Quality Engineer Training [2022]
Comprehensive Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) Exam Preparation Course (2022 Body of Knowledge)...
16. Music Production II - Music Production Workflow - COMPLETE!!
Learn to create a Music Production Workflow, and produce professional quality music within any Music Production DAW!...
17. Productivity for Mac Users: 10x Your Productivity
Shortcuts and Tools to 10x Your Productivity on Your Mac...
18. Boost Your Productivity: Adapt, Improve, Do!
Get increased productivity with a boost in willpower, habits, motivation, goal setting and decision making process...
19. Product Management Crash Course; IT Product Management
Product Management Essentials & Product Management Fundamentals to kick-start your career in Product Management...
20. Business Process Mapping
The complete guide to map any business process...
Top 10 most affordable universities for production engineers
The most affordable schools for production engineers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for production 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 production engineers.
1. United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$1,080
Cost of attendance
6,646
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for production engineers
The hardest universities for production engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for production 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 production 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
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 production engineers
The easiest schools for production engineers to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, oregon institute of technology, and saint cloud state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a production 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 production engineers.
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. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
4. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
5. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
6. Lamar University
Beaumont, TX • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,043
7. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
8. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
9. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
10. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
Average production engineer salary by education level
| Production engineer education level | Production engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $106,883 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $93,517 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $76,567 |
Production 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