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Senior lead project engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior lead project engineer. Senior lead project engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or computer science. 72% of senior lead project engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 362 real senior lead project engineer resumes to see exactly what senior lead project engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior lead project engineers are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online senior lead project engineer courses to help get the education required to be a senior lead project engineer.
There are certain senior lead project engineer certifications that you should consider. These senior lead project engineer certifications include Master Project Manager (MPM) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become a senior lead project engineer?
What degree do you need to be a senior lead project engineer?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a senior lead project engineer?
- Computer Science, 9%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for senior lead project engineers
| Senior lead project engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 10.00% |
| University of Memphis | 8.33% |
| Michigan Technological University | 6.67% |
| University of Florida | 6.67% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.67% |
Best majors for senior lead project engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 25.3% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 20.9% |
| 3 | Computer Science | 8.7% |
| 4 | Business | 7.1% |
| 5 | Engineering | 6.7% |
Best colleges for senior lead project engineers
The best colleges for senior lead project engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.
A senior lead project 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 senior lead project 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 senior lead project engineers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
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 Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
9. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Enrollment
24,841
10. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
20 best online courses for senior lead project engineers
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20. Professional Diploma in Project Management
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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior lead project engineers
The most affordable schools for senior lead project engineers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for senior lead project 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 senior lead project engineers.
1. United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$1,080
Cost of attendance
6,646
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior lead project engineers
The hardest universities for senior lead project engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.
Some great schools for senior lead project 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 senior lead project 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. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior lead project engineers
The easiest schools for senior lead project engineers to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, the university of texas at el paso, and oregon institute of technology.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior lead project 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 senior lead project engineers.
1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
2. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
3. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
4. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
5. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
6. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
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. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
Average senior lead project engineer salary by education level
| Senior lead project engineer education level | Senior lead project engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $117,339 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $105,753 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $90,512 |
Senior lead project engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025