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Research and development engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a research and development engineer. Research and development engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or chemical engineering. 70% of research and development engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 8,400 real research and development engineer resumes to see exactly what research and development engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for research and development engineers are the Northeastern University and the Northeastern University.
There are also many online research and development engineer courses to help get the education required to be a research and development engineer.
There are certain research and development engineer certifications that you should consider. These research and development engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Certified Chemical Engineer (CCE).
What education do you need to become a research and development engineer?
What degree do you need to be a research and development engineer?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a research and development engineer?
- Chemical Engineering, 10%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for research and development engineers
| Research and development engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Northeastern University | 8.85% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.60% |
| Purdue University | 7.31% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.22% |
| San Jose State University | 5.58% |
Best majors for research and development engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 27.5% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 20.9% |
| 3 | Chemical Engineering | 10.3% |
| 4 | Biomedical Engineering | 5.4% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 4.7% |
Best colleges for research and development engineers
The best colleges for research and development engineers are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.
A research and development 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 research and development 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 research and development engineers.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,646
Enrollment
5,736
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for research and development engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for research and development engineers
The most affordable schools for research and development engineers are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for research and development 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 research and development engineers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
8. West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Beckley, WV • Private
In-state tuition
$7,464
Cost of attendance
17,166
9. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for research and development engineers
The hardest universities for research and development engineers to get into are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for research and development 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 research and development 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. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research and development engineers
The easiest schools for research and development engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, cleveland state university, and texas a&m; university - kingsville.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a research and development 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 research and development engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
3. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
4. Pennsylvania State University - Berks
Reading, PA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,107
5. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
6. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
7. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
8. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
9. Prairie View A & M University
Prairie View, TX • Private
Admissions rate
74%
SAT average
980
10. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
Average research and development engineer salary by education level
| Research and development engineer education level | Research and development engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $111,606 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $99,182 |
| Doctorate Degree | $120,493 |
Research and development 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