Production tool engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a production tool engineer. Production tool engineers usually study mechanical engineering, mechanical engineering technology, or engineering. 59% of production tool engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 35 real production tool engineer resumes to see exactly what production tool engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for production tool engineers are the Kent State University and the Kent State University.

There are also many online production tool engineer courses to help get the education required to be a production tool engineer.

What education do you need to become a production tool engineer?

What degree do you need to be a production tool engineer?

The most common degree for production tool engineers is bachelor's degree, with 59% of production tool engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 59%

Master's, 18%

Associate, 14%

High School Diploma, 9%

What should I major in to become a production tool engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a production tool engineer. 23% of production tool engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a production tool engineer include mechanical engineering technology and engineering.

Mechanical Engineering, 23%

Mechanical Engineering Technology, 12%

Engineering, 8%

Industrial Technology, 8%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for production tool engineers

Production tool engineers often get their degrees at Kent State University, New Mexico State University, and Wichita State University. Here are the most common colleges for production tool engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Production tool engineer common college	Percentages
Kent State University	12.50%
New Mexico State University	6.25%
Wichita State University	6.25%
Ball State University	6.25%
Colorado State University	6.25%

Show more common production tool engineer colleges

Best majors for production tool engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	23.1%
2	Mechanical Engineering Technology	11.5%
3	Engineering	7.7%
4	Industrial Technology	7.7%
5	Forestry	3.8%

Show more common production tool engineer majors

Best colleges for production tool engineers

The best colleges for production tool engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A production tool 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 tool 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 tool 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. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

4. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

In-state tuition

$15,374

Enrollment

19,564

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

20 best online courses for production tool engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for production tool engineers

The most affordable schools for production tool engineers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, california state university - long beach, and florida international university.

If the best universities for production tool 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 tool 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. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

6. 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

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for production tool engineers

The hardest universities for production tool engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for production tool 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 tool 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for production tool engineers

The easiest schools for production tool engineers to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, oregon institute of technology, and the university of texas at el paso.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a production tool 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 tool 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. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

4. Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Buzzards Bay, MA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,127

5. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

6. Lamar University

Beaumont, TX • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,043

7. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

8. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

9. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

10. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

Average production tool engineer salary by education level

According to our data, production tool engineers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $105,427 annually. Production tool engineers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $91,375.

Production tool engineer education level	Production tool engineer salary
Master's Degree	$105,427
Bachelor's Degree	$91,375
Some College/ Associate Degree	$73,764

Production tool engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Production Tool Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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