Relay engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a relay engineer. Relay engineers usually study electrical engineering, electrical engineering technology, or computer engineering. 77% of relay engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 53 real relay engineer resumes to see exactly what relay engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for relay engineers are the Michigan Technological University and the Michigan Technological University.

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

What education do you need to become a relay engineer?

What degree do you need to be a relay engineer?

The most common degree for relay engineers is bachelor's degree, with 77% of relay 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 5%.

Bachelor's, 77%

Master's, 15%

Associate, 5%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a relay engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a relay engineer. 55% of relay engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a relay engineer include electrical engineering technology and computer engineering.

Electrical Engineering, 55%

Electrical Engineering Technology, 7%

Computer Engineering, 7%

Communication, 5%

Other Majors, 26%

Most common colleges for relay engineers

Relay engineers often get their degrees at Michigan Technological University, Saint Louis University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for relay engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Relay engineer common college	Percentages
Michigan Technological University	8.33%
Saint Louis University	8.33%
Pennsylvania State University	8.33%
Texas A&M University	8.33%
Purdue University	4.17%

Show more common relay engineer colleges

Best majors for relay engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	54.8%
2	Electrical Engineering Technology	7.1%
3	Computer Engineering	7.1%
4	Communication	4.8%
5	Computer Programming	2.4%

Show more common relay engineer majors

Best colleges for relay engineers

The best colleges for relay engineers are Johns Hopkins University, Northeastern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A relay 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 relay 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 relay engineers.

1. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

2. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

3. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$33,950

Enrollment

4,254

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

7. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$19,080

Enrollment

19,127

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

4,169

20 best online courses for relay engineers

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Learn to write your own control software while learning fundamental control theory...

7. Control Systems Made Simple Beginner's Guide

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8. The Complete Electrical Power Control and Protection

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9. Applied Control Systems 1: autonomous cars: Math + PID + MPC

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Simulate a DJI Mavic Pro in Matlab & SIMULINK and design your own PID controllers for altitude and attitude control...

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4.3

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15. Railway Systems Engineering (Equivalent to Micro MSc )

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17. Electrical Control & Protection Systems part 2

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18. Power Engineering: Power System Analysis - Part 1

4.6

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

19. Advanced Process Control & Safety Instrumented Systems SIS

4.5

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Learn how the main process equipment such as chemical reactors , pumps , compressors & heat exchangers are controlled...

20. Product Development & Systems Engineering

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The complete Product Development & Systems Engineering course! Earn 25 contact hours AND prepare to take the INCOSE Exam...

Top 10 most affordable universities for relay engineers

The most affordable schools for relay engineers are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and suny polytechnic institute.

If the best universities for relay 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 relay engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce

Mercedita, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,914

Cost of attendance

13,564

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Barranquitas

Barranquitas, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,479

9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla

Aguadilla, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,284

10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for relay engineers

The hardest universities for relay engineers to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Northeastern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for relay 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 relay 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

2. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

7. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

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 relay engineers

The easiest schools for relay engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a relay 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 relay 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. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

5. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

6. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

7. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

8. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

9. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

10. Pennsylvania State University - York

York, PA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,164

Average relay engineer salary by education level

Relay engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $108,402 annually. With a Master's degree, relay engineers earn a median annual income of $85,623 compared to $64,840 for relay engineers with an Bachelor's degree.

Relay engineer education level	Relay engineer salary
Master's Degree	$85,623
Bachelor's Degree	$64,840
Doctorate Degree	$108,402

Relay engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Relay Engineers?

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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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