Roller coaster designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a roller coaster designer. Roller coaster designers usually study mechanical engineering, general studies, or graphic design. 78% of roller coaster designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 17 real roller coaster designer resumes to see exactly what roller coaster designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for roller coaster designers are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.

There are also many online roller coaster designer courses to help get the education required to be a roller coaster designer.

What education do you need to become a roller coaster designer?

What degree do you need to be a roller coaster designer?

The most common degree for roller coaster designers is bachelor's degree, with 78% of roller coaster designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 78%

Master's, 11%

Associate, 11%

What should I major in to become a roller coaster designer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a roller coaster designer. 36% of roller coaster designers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a roller coaster designer include general studies and graphic design.

Mechanical Engineering, 36%

General Studies, 27%

Graphic Design, 9%

Civil Engineering, 9%

Other Majors, 19%

Most common colleges for roller coaster designers

Roller coaster designers often get their degrees at Ohio State University, New York University, and Purdue University. Here are the most common colleges for roller coaster designers in the US based on their resumes.

Roller coaster designer common college	Percentages
Ohio State University	28.57%
New York University	14.29%
Purdue University	14.29%
SUNY Buffalo State	14.29%
University of Central Florida	14.29%

Show more common roller coaster designer colleges

Best majors for roller coaster designers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	36.4%
2	General Studies	27.3%
3	Graphic Design	9.1%
4	Civil Engineering	9.1%
5	Chemical Engineering	9.1%

Show more common roller coaster designer majors

Best colleges for roller coaster designers

The best colleges for roller coaster designers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and California Institute of Technology.

A roller coaster designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for roller coaster designers. 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 roller coaster designers.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

5. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for roller coaster designers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for roller coaster designers

The most affordable schools for roller coaster designers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and florida international university.

If the best universities for roller coaster designers 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 roller coaster designers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

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 roller coaster designers

The hardest universities for roller coaster designers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and California Institute of Technology.

Some great schools for roller coaster designers 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 roller coaster designers 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for roller coaster designers

The easiest schools for roller coaster designers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and the university of texas at el paso.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a roller coaster designer 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 roller coaster designers.

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. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

6. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

Average roller coaster designer salary by education level

Roller coaster designers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $152,503 annually. With a Master's degree, roller coaster designers earn a median annual income of $132,313 compared to $106,317 for roller coaster designers with an Bachelor's degree.

Roller coaster designer education level	Roller coaster designer salary
Master's Degree	$132,313
Bachelor's Degree	$106,317
Doctorate Degree	$152,503

Roller coaster designer education FAQs

What is the best college for Roller Coaster Designers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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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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