Senior design project education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior design project. Senior design projects usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or biomedical engineering. 86% of senior design projects hold a bachelor's degree, and 7% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 7,221 real senior design project resumes to see exactly what senior design project education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior design projects are the Drexel University and the Drexel University.

There are also many online senior design project courses to help get the education required to be a senior design project.

There are certain senior design project certifications that you should consider. These senior design project certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and National Council Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ).

What education do you need to become a senior design project?

What degree do you need to be a senior design project?

The most common degree for senior design projects is bachelor's degree, with 86% of senior design projects earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 7% and associate degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 86%

Associate, 7%

Master's, 5%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a senior design project?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a senior design project. 34% of senior design projects major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a senior design project include electrical engineering and biomedical engineering.

Mechanical Engineering, 34%

Electrical Engineering, 11%

Biomedical Engineering, 9%

Chemical Engineering, 7%

Other Majors, 39%

Most common colleges for senior design projects

Senior design projects often get their degrees at Drexel University, University of California - Davis, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for senior design projects in the US based on their resumes.

Senior design project common college	Percentages
Drexel University	9.23%
University of California - Davis	8.79%
University of California, Santa Barbara	8.27%
Georgia Institute of Technology	6.78%
University of Connecticut	6.55%

Show more common senior design project colleges

Best majors for senior design projects

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	33.9%
2	Electrical Engineering	11.3%
3	Biomedical Engineering	8.8%
4	Chemical Engineering	7.2%
5	Civil Engineering	6.6%

Show more common senior design project majors

Best colleges for senior design projects

The best colleges for senior design projects are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A senior design project with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior design projects. 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 senior design projects.

1. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

20 best online courses for senior design projects

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior design projects

The most affordable schools for senior design projects are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and florida state university.

If the best universities for senior design projects 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 senior design projects.

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 State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. 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

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 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. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior design projects

The hardest universities for senior design projects to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for senior design projects 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 senior design projects 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

7. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior design projects

The easiest schools for senior design projects to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, texas a&m; university - kingsville, and cleveland state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior design project 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 senior design projects.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

3. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

4. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

5. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

6. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

7. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

8. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

9. Lamar University

Beaumont, TX • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,043

10. University of New Haven

West Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,129

Average senior design project salary by education level

According to our data, senior design projects with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $108,561 annually. Senior design projects with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $101,453.

Senior design project education level	Senior design project salary
Master's Degree	$101,453
Bachelor's Degree	$91,405
Doctorate Degree	$108,561

Senior design project education FAQs

What is the best college for Senior Design Projects?

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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