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Qualification engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a qualification engineer. Qualification engineers usually study electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or engineering. 74% of qualification engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 224 real qualification engineer resumes to see exactly what qualification engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for qualification engineers are the University of Alabama at Huntsville and the University of Alabama at Huntsville.

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

There are certain qualification engineer certifications that you should consider. These qualification engineer certifications include Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).

What education do you need to become a qualification engineer?

What degree do you need to be a qualification engineer?

The most common degree for qualification engineers is bachelor's degree, with 74% of qualification engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 74%
  • Associate, 13%
  • Master's, 8%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a qualification engineer?

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

Most common colleges for qualification engineers

Qualification engineers often get their degrees at University of Alabama at Huntsville, University of South Carolina - Columbia, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for qualification engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Qualification engineer common collegePercentages
University of Alabama at Huntsville11.90%
University of South Carolina - Columbia9.52%
Pennsylvania State University7.14%
Northeastern University7.14%
Ohio State University4.76%

Best majors for qualification engineers

Best colleges for qualification engineers

The best colleges for qualification engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University.

A qualification 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 qualification 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 qualification 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. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Enrollment

24,841

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for qualification engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for qualification engineers

The most affordable schools for qualification engineers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, california state university - long beach, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.

If the best universities for qualification 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 qualification 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. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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 qualification engineers

The hardest universities for qualification engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University.

Some great schools for qualification 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 qualification 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. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

4. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,566

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for qualification engineers

The easiest schools for qualification engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, the university of texas at el paso, and saint cloud state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a qualification 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 qualification engineers.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

3. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

4. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

5. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

6. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

7. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

8. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

9. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

10. The Citadel

Charleston, SC • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,129

Average qualification engineer salary by education level

Qualification engineers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $104,884 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, qualification engineers earn a median annual income of $91,181 compared to $73,943 for qualification engineers with an Associate degree.
Qualification engineer education levelQualification engineer salary
Master's Degree$104,884
Bachelor's Degree$91,181
Some College/ Associate Degree$73,943

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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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