Propulsion engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a propulsion engineer. Propulsion engineers usually study mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or engineering. 72% of propulsion engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 306 real propulsion engineer resumes to see exactly what propulsion engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for propulsion engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

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

What education do you need to become a propulsion engineer?

What degree do you need to be a propulsion engineer?

The most common degree for propulsion engineers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of propulsion engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 72%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 8%

High School Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 0%

What should I major in to become a propulsion engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a propulsion engineer. 30% of propulsion engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a propulsion engineer include aerospace engineering and engineering.

Mechanical Engineering, 30%

Aerospace Engineering, 28%

Engineering, 7%

Chemical Engineering, 5%

Other Majors, 30%

Most common colleges for propulsion engineers

Propulsion engineers often get their degrees at Purdue University, Arizona State University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for propulsion engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Propulsion engineer common college	Percentages
Purdue University	13.79%
Arizona State University	6.90%
Pennsylvania State University	6.90%
Texas A&M University	6.90%
University of Florida	5.17%

Show more common propulsion engineer colleges

Best majors for propulsion engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	30.1%
2	Aerospace Engineering	28.5%
3	Engineering	7.0%
4	Chemical Engineering	4.8%
5	Business	3.2%

Show more common propulsion engineer majors

Best colleges for propulsion engineers

The best colleges for propulsion engineers are California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A propulsion 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 propulsion 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 propulsion engineers.

1. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

2. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,880

Enrollment

6,590

9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

10. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

20 best online courses for propulsion engineers

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1. Flight mechanics - Propulsive balance and energy

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2. Autonomous Vehicle Engineering

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3. Rocket Engineering and Interstellar Space Propulsion

4.7

(684)

Become a rocket scientist and understand the most advanced space propulsion technologies...

4. Aerospace Engineering: Aircraft Systems and Avionics

4.6

(960)

Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering: Master the Systems of Airplanes - Hydraulics, Avionics, Electric, Propulsion...

5. Aerospace Engineering: Rocket Science and Engineering

4.2

(496)

Have the knowledge of a rocket scientist and learn how to deal with complex equations critical to rocket propulsion!...

6. Software Performance Testing and Engineering

4.4

(1,032)

PT Concepts & Best Practices JMeter Scripting for APIs Perf Testing of Microservices on AWS ECS & Lambda...

7. Aerospace Engineering: Aircraft Fundamentals and Advanced

4.6

(2,504)

Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering: Master the Mechanics of Airplanes - Aerodynamics, Flight Maneuvers, JET Engines...

8. Power Engineering: Power System Analysis - Part 1

4.6

(394)

Start your career in electrical engineering and power engineering by learning the fundamentals of power system analysis...

9. Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Practice Tests

4.3

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Pass the Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Exam...

10. Flight Mechanics - From Theory to Certification of Aircraft

4.5

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Modeling theory, aircraft 6DOF simulation, flight dynamics, flight simulators and aircraft certification...

11. Design Failure Mode Effect Analysis - Concepts & Practice

4.3

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Learn about the fundamentals of preparing DFMEA for Mechanical design engineers...

12. Reliability and Maintenance Engineering - FMEA

(533)

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis - A mechanical engineering approach to risk management of plant and machinery...

13. CSi SAP2000: Structural Analysis Program for Engineers

4.1

(276)

Analyze Structural Elements Using SAP2000 For Engineers & Architects...

14. Practical - ISTQB - Test Automation Engineer Course 2023

4.1

(261)

Learn the concepts, methods and tools to pass the ISTQB - Advanced Level - Test Automation Engineer Certification Exam...

15. Complete Field Instrumentation Engineering Course

4.3

(259)

Flow, Level, Temperature and Pressure Instrument - Selection, Sizing, Calculation and Detail Engineering...

16. Introduction to Automotive engineering - Performance

4.4

(414)

Learn the Basics of Vehicle Performance and take your Automotive knowledge to next level...

17. Reverse Engineering and Malware Analysis Fundamentals

4.4

(1,097)

Beginners' course on reverse engineering and malware analysis...

18. Expert Malware Analysis and Reverse Engineering

4.3

(1,048)

Beginner to Expert series on Malware analysis and reverse engineering concepts...

19. ETAP Power System Analysis For Electrical Engineers

4.3

(1,061)

Learn ETAP, Power System Analysis and Supporting Hand Calculations From Scratch...

20. Part 1 FAA Private Pilot Ground School (Part 61)

4.6

(731)

Introduction to flight training, Aircraft Structure, Systems and Flight Instruments...

Top 10 most affordable universities for propulsion engineers

The most affordable schools for propulsion engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for propulsion 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 propulsion engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

6. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

10. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Cost of attendance

28,501

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for propulsion engineers

The hardest universities for propulsion engineers to get into are California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for propulsion 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 propulsion 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. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

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

SAT average

1,512

9. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

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 propulsion engineers

The easiest schools for propulsion engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and cleveland state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a propulsion 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 propulsion 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. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

4. Wichita State University

Wichita, KS • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,152

5. University of Nevada - Las Vegas

Las Vegas, NV • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,113

6. The Citadel

Charleston, SC • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,129

7. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

8. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

9. University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,050

10. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

Average propulsion engineer salary by education level

According to our data, propulsion engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $109,568 annually. Propulsion engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $104,448.

Propulsion engineer education level	Propulsion engineer salary
Master's Degree	$104,448
Bachelor's Degree	$96,005
Doctorate Degree	$109,568

Propulsion engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Propulsion 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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