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Senior product development engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior product development engineer. Senior product development engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or chemical engineering. 72% of senior product development engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,277 real senior product development engineer resumes to see exactly what senior product development engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior product development engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online senior product development engineer courses to help get the education required to be a senior product development engineer.
There are certain senior product development engineer certifications that you should consider. These senior product development engineer certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).
What education do you need to become a senior product development engineer?
What degree do you need to be a senior product development engineer?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a senior product development engineer?
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 31%
Most common colleges for senior product development engineers
| Senior product development engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 12.84% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 6.88% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.88% |
| Northern Illinois University | 5.96% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 5.50% |
Best majors for senior product development engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 38.8% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 17.3% |
| 3 | Chemical Engineering | 6.9% |
| 4 | Business | 5.5% |
| 5 | Mechanical Engineering Technology | 3.7% |
Best colleges for senior product development engineers
The best colleges for senior product development engineers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A senior product 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 senior product 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 senior product development engineers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,646
Enrollment
5,736
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
10. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
20 best online courses for senior product development engineers
Advertising disclosure
1. Strategic Product Development
This course discusses how companies create new products that customers want while achieving their financial objectives. Learners begin by defining the product strategies necessary to ensure a company’s long-term growth. Learners then explore the different product development processes used by high-tech businesses today, such as Stage-Gate and Lean/Agile techniques. Learners conclude by illustrating the tools to build the high-performance teams that take the development process from concept...
2. Product Development & Systems Engineering
The complete Product Development & Systems Engineering course! Earn 25 contact hours AND prepare to take the INCOSE Exam...
3. Mechanical design and Product development process
Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...
4. Product Design Management for Agile Practitioners
Application of product design management principles, concepts, tools and techniques in agile product management...
5. Product Management Crash Course; IT Product Management
Product Management Essentials & Product Management Fundamentals to kick-start your career in Product Management...
6. Great Product Manager: Product Management by a Big Tech's PM
Become a Great Product Manager! Land your dream job with Big Tech's Senior Product Manager...
7. Manufacturing Guide for Mechanical Product Development
Learn how everyday physical products are manufactured with no prior experience in engineering...
8. Technical Product Management: learn on 4 real industry cases
Boost your technicality (as a PM) or tech product skills (as an engineer) to grow in your current role...
9. Comprehensive Product management for Product managers
Become a great product manager with comprehensive product management Real world case study with JIRA & Confluence...
10. 50 Personal Development And Personal Productivity Skills
Personal transformation to be a top-1% performer! Personal development, business productivity, and personal productivity...
11. Product Management: Mastering Product Roadmaps 2023
A complete guide to building a roadmap that works for both your product team and your stakeholders...
12. Product Management Marketing: Dekker's Product Marketing MBA
Be a Product Marketing Manager - Product Management : Product Manager MBA : Product to Market : Product Owner Launch GTM...
13. Product Management Fundamentals
Case-based practical course on product management to build strong foundations in product concepts, process & frameworks...
14. Automotive product design using CATIA V5
Automotive domain design using CATIA, interior and exterior trims on CATIA, Plastic product design in Automotive sector...
15. Product Management 101
Learn to become a more strategic product manager - and have a greater impact on your company and your products...
16. Introduction Agile & Scrum for Product Owners
[UNOFFICIAL] Learn about agility & Scrum. Prepare for your Project Manager or Product Owner certification in 2023!...
17. Product Management A-Z: Excel as a PM & Build great Products
Product Management course (with Live Case Exercises & inputs from PMs @Top Tech cos.)- Build n Grow products & Get Hired...
18. Productivity Machine: Time Management & Productivity Hacks
Productivity & Time Management Strategies for Goal Setting, Eliminating Distractions, & Building Habits for Success...
19. Product and Service Management
Know the Work that is Involved in Getting a Product Onto the Shelf and a Service Ready for Effective Delivery...
20. Introduction to Automotive Product Design & development
Learn about the process, milestones and activities from idea to complete design of cars for Automotive engineers...
Top 10 most affordable universities for senior product development engineers
The most affordable schools for senior product development engineers are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for senior product 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 senior product development engineers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior product development engineers
The hardest universities for senior product development engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for senior product 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 senior product 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior product development engineers
The easiest schools for senior product development engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, oklahoma wesleyan university, and capitol technology university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior product 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 senior product development engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
6. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
10. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
Average senior product development engineer salary by education level
| Senior product development engineer education level | Senior product development engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $107,709 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $97,532 |
| Doctorate Degree | $114,879 |
Senior product development engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025