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Protection engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a protection engineer. Protection engineers usually study electrical engineering, business, or computer information systems. 62% of protection engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 238 real protection engineer resumes to see exactly what protection engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for protection engineers are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online protection engineer courses to help get the education required to be a protection engineer.
What education do you need to become a protection engineer?
What degree do you need to be a protection engineer?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 26%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a protection engineer?
- Business, 9%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for protection engineers
| Protection engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 13.64% |
| Central State University | 9.09% |
| University of Washington | 6.82% |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | 6.82% |
| West Virginia University | 6.82% |
Best majors for protection engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 44.5% |
| 2 | Business | 9.5% |
| 3 | Computer Information Systems | 5.8% |
| 4 | Civil Engineering | 5.8% |
| 5 | Engineering | 4.4% |
Best colleges for protection engineers
The best colleges for protection engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A protection 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 protection 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 protection engineers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Enrollment
2,120
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
20 best online courses for protection engineers
Advertising disclosure
1. Power System: Generation, Transmission and Protection
The course “Electrical Power Generation” enables the learner to understand the power sector scenario from generation, transmission, and distribution components. The learner will have an overview of generation from thermal power plants, its auxiliaries, and the control strategy adopted in the generation plant, which will give a virtual feel of the power sector functioning.\n\nThrough the “Power Transmission System with Industrial Applications” course, learners will focus on the structure of the...
2. MV Substation - An industrial approach (PART-A)
This tailor-made certificate course on MV Substation Engineering is curated by the Subject Matter Experts and practitioners of L&T, and is structured pragmatically to help the learner understand the industry practices in carrying out the engineering for substations and selection of various substation equipment in accordance with Indian & International Standards. In addition, it covers the electrical safety rules, safe operating procedures and an overview of maintenance practices to give a...
3. Electrical Control & Protection Systems
This course introduces electrical control & protection systems which are a critical part of any electrical substation...
4. Electrical Control & Protection Systems part 2
This course introduces electrical control & protection systems which are a critical part of any electrical substation...
5. Design of Transmission Line: Modelling and Performance
This course is designed to provide a detailed exploration of the critical elements involved in transmission lines' design, modeling, and performance assessment. By enrolling in this course, participants will not only gain theoretical knowledge but also practical skills that are directly applicable in the field of transmission line engineering. Whether you're a student aspiring to enter the industry or a professional seeking to deepen your expertise, this course offers a unique blend of...
6. Real-World Engineering Management
Learn software engineering management using the same practices as Amazon Web Services (AWS), with comparisons to the practices at Google and Microsoft! Gain insights to impress on your first (or next) engineering manager (EM or SDM) role.\n\nLead instructor Nancy Wang, Director of Engineering and Product and General Manager of Data Protection Services at Amazon Web Services, shares the key business, technical, design, and leadership skills necessary for success at engineering manager roles at...
7. Electrical Control & Protection Part 3
This course introduces electrical control & protection systems which are a critical part of any electrical network...
8. The Complete Electrical Power Control and Protection
Your Complete Practical Guide in Electrical Control & Protection Systems for Stations , Substations & Distribution Zones...
9. Electrical Control & Protection Part 4
This course introduces electrical control & protection systems which are a critical part of any electrical network...
10. Ultimate Power Electronics and Electrical Protection Bundle
The largest and most comprehensive bundle on power electronics and electrical protection for electrical engineering...
11. VMware vSphere 6.0 Part 5 - VM Backup and Replication
Learn to backup and recover VMs using VMware Data Protection and how to replicate VMs using v Sphere Replication...
12. Ultimate Electrical Power Protection, Control & Switchgear
Your Complete guide in industrial power system protection for switchgears and substations- from Beginner to Expert Level...
13. Veeam Backup & Replication Course Zero to Mastery
Take Backup & Restore from v Sphere & Hyper-V Replication & Disaster Recovery Secure Backup Data Upto V12...
14. Desktop IT Support Level 1 & 2 in real life (Troubleshooting
Learn everything in real life Troubleshooting for IT Help Desk , Helpdesk , IT Support , System Administration and IT...
15. Basics of Material selection for mechanical design engineers
Learn about the fundamentals of materials and their selection for mechanical engineering design for design engineers...
16. SQL Server High Availability and Disaster Recovery (HA/DR)
Dive deep into how SQL Server works to implement an effective high availability and disaster recovery solution...
17. Complete Field Instrumentation Engineering Course
Flow, Level, Temperature and Pressure Instrument - Selection, Sizing, Calculation and Detail Engineering...
18. Complete GDPR, GDPR Certification, data protection, privacy
Black Friday Edition GDPR, GDPR CERTIFICATION, GDPR Foundation, general data protection regulation, data privacy, Aug 22...
19. Ultimate Privacy by Design Data Protection Course(GDPR,LGPD)
Learn Privacy by Design Data Protection Methodologies in order to prepare for GDPR,CCPA,LGPD Data Protection compliance...
20. Oracle Database 12c Backup and Recovery using RMAN
Master using RMAN in performing backup and recovery activities on Oracle Databases. No course covers the same topics!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for protection engineers
The most affordable schools for protection engineers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for protection 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 protection engineers.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for protection engineers
The hardest universities for protection engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for protection 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 protection 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for protection engineers
The easiest schools for protection engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, capitol technology university, and oregon institute of technology.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a protection 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 protection engineers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
3. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
10. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
Average protection engineer salary by education level
| Protection engineer education level | Protection engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $121,070 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $105,152 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $85,443 |
Protection 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