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Senior staff engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior staff engineer. Senior staff engineers usually study electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or computer science. 65% of senior staff engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,910 real senior staff engineer resumes to see exactly what senior staff engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior staff engineers are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online senior staff engineer courses to help get the education required to be a senior staff engineer.
There are certain senior staff engineer certifications that you should consider. These senior staff engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
What education do you need to become a senior staff engineer?
What degree do you need to be a senior staff engineer?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a senior staff engineer?
- Computer Science, 9%
- Business, 8%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for senior staff engineers
| Senior staff engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 8.20% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.65% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 6.38% |
| Texas A&M University | 6.38% |
| San Jose State University | 6.01% |
Best majors for senior staff engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 32.8% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 11.7% |
| 3 | Computer Science | 9.3% |
| 4 | Business | 7.6% |
| 5 | Computer Engineering | 4.4% |
Best colleges for senior staff engineers
The best colleges for senior staff engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Northeastern University.
A senior staff 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 staff 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 staff engineers.
1. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Enrollment
24,841
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
7. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
In-state tuition
$15,374
Enrollment
19,564
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for senior staff engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior staff engineers
The most affordable schools for senior staff engineers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, california state university - long beach, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.
If the best universities for senior staff 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 staff 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 Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior staff engineers
The hardest universities for senior staff engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for senior staff 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 staff 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior staff engineers
The easiest schools for senior staff engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, the university of texas at el paso, and saint cloud state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior staff 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 staff engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
3. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
4. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
5. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
6. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
7. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
8. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
9. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
10. Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Buzzards Bay, MA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,127
Average senior staff engineer salary by education level
| Senior staff engineer education level | Senior staff engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $154,539 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $134,451 |
| Doctorate Degree | $169,161 |
Senior staff 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