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Senior principle engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior principle engineer. Senior principle engineers usually study electrical engineering, computer science, or mechanical engineering. 69% of senior principle engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 330 real senior principle engineer resumes to see exactly what senior principle engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior principle engineers are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.
There are also many online senior principle engineer courses to help get the education required to be a senior principle engineer.
What education do you need to become a senior principle engineer?
What degree do you need to be a senior principle engineer?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a senior principle engineer?
- Computer Science, 11%
- Business, 10%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for senior principle engineers
| Senior principle engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Maryland - College Park | 10.34% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.62% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 6.90% |
| Strayer University | 6.90% |
| Arizona State University | 5.17% |
Best majors for senior principle engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 23.7% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 10.7% |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineering | 10.2% |
| 4 | Business | 9.8% |
| 5 | Computer Information Systems | 5.1% |
Best colleges for senior principle engineers
The best colleges for senior principle engineers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
A senior principle 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 principle 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 principle engineers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Enrollment
24,841
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
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 principle engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior principle engineers
The most affordable schools for senior principle engineers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for senior principle 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 principle 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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior principle engineers
The hardest universities for senior principle engineers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for senior principle 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 principle 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior principle engineers
The easiest schools for senior principle engineers to get into are Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus), texas a&m; university - kingsville, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior principle 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 principle engineers.
1. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
2. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
5. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average senior principle engineer salary by education level
| Senior principle engineer education level | Senior principle engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $140,659 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $126,037 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $106,942 |
Senior principle 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