Solar designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a solar designer. Solar designers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or drafting and design. 66% of solar designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 150 real solar designer resumes to see exactly what solar designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for solar designers are the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Berkeley.

There are also many online solar designer courses to help get the education required to be a solar designer.

What education do you need to become a solar designer?

What degree do you need to be a solar designer?

The most common degree for solar designers is bachelor's degree, with 66% of solar designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 66%

Associate, 20%

Master's, 9%

Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a solar designer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a solar designer. 21% of solar designers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a solar designer include electrical engineering and drafting and design.

Mechanical Engineering, 21%

Electrical Engineering, 13%

Drafting And Design, 12%

Business, 5%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for solar designers

Solar designers often get their degrees at University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Santa Barbara, and Utah Valley University. Here are the most common colleges for solar designers in the US based on their resumes.

Solar designer common college	Percentages
University of California, Berkeley	14.71%
University of California, Santa Barbara	8.82%
Utah Valley University	5.88%
University of Southern California	5.88%
The University of Montana	5.88%

Show more common solar designer colleges

Best majors for solar designers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	21.1%
2	Electrical Engineering	13.2%
3	Drafting And Design	11.8%
4	Business	5.3%
5	Environmental Science	5.3%

Show more common solar designer majors

Best colleges for solar designers

The best colleges for solar designers are Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A solar designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for solar designers. 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 solar designers.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

2. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

3. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

20 best online courses for solar designers

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19. Software Architecture & System Design Practical Case Studies

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Top 10 most affordable universities for solar designers

The most affordable schools for solar designers are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.

If the best universities for solar designers 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 solar designers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Beckley, WV • Private

In-state tuition

$7,464

Cost of attendance

17,166

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for solar designers

The hardest universities for solar designers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for solar designers 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 solar designers 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

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. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

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. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for solar designers

The easiest schools for solar designers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, south dakota state university, and capitol technology university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a solar designer 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 solar designers.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

3. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

4. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

5. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

6. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

7. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

8. Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,111

9. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

10. Suffolk University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,131

Average solar designer salary by education level

Solar designers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $80,269 annually. With a Master's degree, solar designers earn a median annual income of $68,025 compared to $55,969 for solar designers with an Bachelor's degree.

Solar designer education level	Solar designer salary
Master's Degree	$68,025
Bachelor's Degree	$55,969
Doctorate Degree	$80,269

Solar designer education FAQs

What is the best college for Solar Designers?

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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