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Project manager/senior project engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a project manager/senior project engineer. Project managers/senior project engineer usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or civil engineering. 69% of project managers/senior project engineer hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,988 real project manager/senior project engineer resumes to see exactly what project manager/senior project engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for project managers/senior project engineer are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.

There are also many online project manager/senior project engineer courses to help get the education required to be a project manager/senior project engineer.

There are certain project manager/senior project engineer certifications that you should consider. These project manager/senior project engineer certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Six Sigma Green Belt.

What education do you need to become a project manager/senior project engineer?

What degree do you need to be a project manager/senior project engineer?

The most common degree for project managers/senior project engineer is bachelor's degree, with 69% of project managers/senior project engineer earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 69%
  • Master's, 17%
  • Associate, 10%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a project manager/senior project engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a project manager/senior project engineer. 20% of project managers/senior project engineer major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a project manager/senior project engineer include electrical engineering and civil engineering.

Most common colleges for project managers/senior project engineer

Project managers/senior project engineer often get their degrees at Texas A&M; University, University of Phoenix, and Purdue University. Here are the most common colleges for project managers/senior project engineer in the US based on their resumes.
Project manager/senior project engineer common collegePercentages
Texas A&M University7.98%
University of Phoenix7.98%
Purdue University6.84%
George Washington University, The6.46%
Pennsylvania State University6.08%

Best majors for project managers/senior project engineer

Best colleges for project managers/senior project engineer

The best colleges for project managers/senior project engineer are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A project manager/senior project 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 project managers/senior project engineer. 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 project managers/senior project engineer.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for project managers/senior project engineer

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Mastering Construction-Project Management in less than 10 Hours...

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A crash course in the essentials of project management for new project managers...

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Earned Value Management, Project Management, Cost Control & Monitor, Budget, Schedule & Cost Variance, Performance Index...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for project managers/senior project engineer

The most affordable schools for project managers/senior project engineer are University of Florida, united states merchant marine academy, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for project managers/senior project engineer 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 project managers/senior project engineer.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. United States Merchant Marine Academy

Kings Point, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$1,080

Cost of attendance

6,646

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. 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

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

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 project managers/senior project engineer

The hardest universities for project managers/senior project engineer to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for project managers/senior project engineer 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 project managers/senior project engineer 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

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. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for project managers/senior project engineer

The easiest schools for project managers/senior project engineer 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 project manager/senior project 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 project managers/senior project engineer.

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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

6. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

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 project manager/senior project engineer salary by education level

According to our data, project managers/senior project engineer with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $150,601 annually. Project managers/senior project engineer with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $130,910.
Project manager/senior project engineer education levelProject manager/senior project engineer salary
Master's Degree$150,601
Bachelor's Degree$130,910
Some College/ Associate Degree$106,140

Project manager/senior project engineer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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