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Quality systems engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a quality systems engineer. Quality systems engineers usually study business, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering. 72% of quality systems engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,016 real quality systems engineer resumes to see exactly what quality systems engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for quality systems engineers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain quality systems engineer certifications that you should consider. These quality systems engineer certifications include Lead Auditor and Six Sigma Green Belt.

What education do you need to become a quality systems engineer?

What degree do you need to be a quality systems engineer?

The most common degree for quality systems engineers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of quality systems engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Master's, 15%
  • Associate, 10%
  • Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a quality systems engineer?

You should major in business to become a quality systems engineer. 19% of quality systems engineers major in business. Other common majors for a quality systems engineer include electrical engineering and mechanical engineering.

Most common colleges for quality systems engineers

Quality systems engineers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Purdue University, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Here are the most common colleges for quality systems engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Quality systems engineer common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix14.39%
Purdue University7.58%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale6.82%
San Jose State University6.06%
Arizona State University5.30%

Best majors for quality systems engineers

Best colleges for quality systems engineers

The best colleges for quality systems engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Stanford University.

A quality systems 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 quality systems 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 quality systems 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

5. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for quality systems engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for quality systems engineers

The most affordable schools for quality systems engineers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for quality systems 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 quality systems 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 - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

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 quality systems engineers

The hardest universities for quality systems engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for quality systems 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 quality systems 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

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 quality systems engineers

The easiest schools for quality systems engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, texas a&m; university - kingsville, and notre dame de namur university.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

5. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

8. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average quality systems engineer salary by education level

Quality systems engineers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $101,344 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, quality systems engineers earn a median annual income of $91,416 compared to $78,342 for quality systems engineers with an Associate degree.
Quality systems engineer education levelQuality systems engineer salary
Master's Degree$101,344
Bachelor's Degree$91,416
Some College/ Associate Degree$78,342

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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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