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Programming engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a programming engineer. Programming engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or business. 74% of programming engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,549 real programming engineer resumes to see exactly what programming engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for programming engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online programming engineer courses to help get the education required to be a programming engineer.
There are certain programming engineer certifications that you should consider. These programming engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Six Sigma Green Belt.
What education do you need to become a programming engineer?
What degree do you need to be a programming engineer?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a programming engineer?
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for programming engineers
| Programming engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 13.14% |
| Michigan State University | 7.63% |
| Michigan Technological University | 7.20% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.78% |
| Ohio State University | 5.08% |
Best majors for programming engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 29.6% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 15.8% |
| 3 | Business | 6.9% |
| 4 | Chemical Engineering | 6.6% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 5.5% |
Best colleges for programming engineers
The best colleges for programming engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A programming 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 programming 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 programming 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. 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
20 best online courses for programming engineers
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17. Diesel Engine Fundamentals (Mechanical Engineering)
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18. Reverse Engineering 1: x64dbg Debugger for Beginners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for programming engineers
The most affordable schools for programming engineers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for programming 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 programming 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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
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 programming engineers
The hardest universities for programming engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for programming 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 programming 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. 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for programming engineers
The easiest schools for programming engineers to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, oregon institute of technology, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a programming 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 programming 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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
5. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
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 programming engineer salary by education level
| Programming engineer education level | Programming engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $89,642 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $79,836 |
| Doctorate Degree | $96,645 |
Programming 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