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Staff design engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a staff design engineer. Staff design engineers usually study electrical engineering, graphic design, or mechanical engineering. 66% of staff design engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,090 real staff design engineer resumes to see exactly what staff design engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for staff design engineers are the San Jose State University and the San Jose State University.

There are also many online staff design engineer courses to help get the education required to be a staff design engineer.

There are certain staff design engineer certifications that you should consider. These staff design engineer certifications include National Council Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ).

What education do you need to become a staff design engineer?

What degree do you need to be a staff design engineer?

The most common degree for staff design engineers is bachelor's degree, with 66% of staff design engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 66%
  • Master's, 19%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a staff design engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a staff design engineer. 43% of staff design engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a staff design engineer include graphic design and mechanical engineering.

Most common colleges for staff design engineers

Staff design engineers often get their degrees at San Jose State University, University of California - Davis, and University of California, Berkeley. Here are the most common colleges for staff design engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Staff design engineer common collegePercentages
San Jose State University10.67%
University of California - Davis10.00%
University of California, Berkeley8.00%
Syracuse University6.67%
University of Cincinnati5.33%

Best majors for staff design engineers

Best colleges for staff design engineers

The best colleges for staff design engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.

A staff design 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 staff design 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 staff design engineers.

1. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Enrollment

24,841

8. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,785

Enrollment

7,711

9. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

10. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

20 best online courses for staff design engineers

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1. FPGA Design for Embedded Systems

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The objective of this course is to acquire proficiency with Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA)s for the purpose of creating prototypes or products for a variety of applications. Although FPGA design can be a complex topic, we will introduce it so that, with a little bit of effort, the basic concepts will be easily learned, while also providing a challenge for the more experienced designer. We will explore complexities, capabilities and trends of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) and...

2. Introduction to FPGA Design for Embedded Systems

coursera

This course can also be taken for academic credit as ECEA 5360, part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree. Programmable Logic has become more and more common as a core technology used to build electronic systems. By integrating soft-core or hardcore processors, these devices have become complete systems on a chip, steadily displacing general purpose processors and ASICs. In particular, high performance systems are now almost always implemented with FPGAs. This...

3. System Design using Verilog

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4.5
(413)

FPGA Based Design...

4. Verilog for an FPGA Engineer with Xilinx Vivado Design Suite

udemy
4.5
(937)

Using Xilinx FPGA's...

5. VLSI CAD Part I: Logic

coursera

A modern VLSI chip has a zillion parts -- logic, control, memory, interconnect, etc. How do we design these complex chips? Answer: CAD software tools. Learn how to build thesA modern VLSI chip is a remarkably complex beast: billions of transistors, millions of logic gates deployed for computation and control, big blocks of memory, embedded blocks of pre-designed functions designed by third parties (called “intellectual property” or IP blocks). How do people manage to design these complicated...

6. Engineering and Product Design Processes

coursera

Welcome to “Engineering and Product Design Processes!” In this short course, you will learn how engineering design processes and product design processes are carried out. After the course, you will be familiar with the steps in both design processes. You will also be familiar with the main goal of each design process, as well as their similarities and differences...

7. FPGA Embedded Design, Part 1 - Verilog

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4.6
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Learn FPGA embedded application design starting with the basics and leaving with your own working designs...

8. CMOS Analog Circuit Design

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4.4
(768)

By Prof. Phillip E Allen...

9. Digital Timing Basics for VLSI Interview & SoC Design

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4.5
(295)

A VLSI Course on Timing Concepts frequently used in Physical Design (Static Timing Analysis - STA), RTL & Circuit Design...

10. High-Level Synthesis for FPGA, Part 1-Combinational Circuits

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4.7
(335)

Logic Design with Vitis-HLS...

11. Verilog HDL Fundamentals for Digital Design and Verification

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4.5
(479)

Build a strong Verilog language foundation by implementing combinational / sequential digital circuits and testbenches...

12. ESD - An Analog Design Viewpoint

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4.5
(482)

How to apply ESD protection to analog/mixed signal ICs...

13. RF Design Architecture of Receiver Transmitter & Transceiver

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4.4
(401)

​RF System Design for Wireless systems​ RAHRF409 Radio Frequency Transceiver System Design Course Rahsoft RF Certificate...

14. Software Architecture & System Design Practical Case Studies

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4.7
(250)

Design Real-life Large Scale Systems, Practice Modern Software Architecture & Prepare for a System Design Interview...

15. Basics of Material selection for mechanical design engineers

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4.4
(542)

Learn about the fundamentals of materials and their selection for mechanical engineering design for design engineers...

16. AutoCAD Mechanical 2D and 3D for Beginners to Advanced

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4
(417)

Auto CAD Mechanical Engineering/ Drawing / Drafting / Design in 2D and 3D...

17. Pro Engineer Creo Fundamental 3D design course

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4.3
(1,044)

Learn fundamentals of creo parametric from scratch including part design,drawing,assembly...

18. Complete course in AutoCAD: 2D and 3D

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4.5
(4,793)

For Architects, Engineers, and Designers...

19. PG Diploma in Piping Design Engineering

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4.2
(839)

Learn Piping Design Engineering...

20. Software Architecture & Design of Modern Large Scale Systems

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4.7
(4,499)

Become a Software Architect or Technical Lead by Mastering Software Architecture, System Design & Big Data Processing...

Top 10 most affordable universities for staff design engineers

The most affordable schools for staff design engineers are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.

If the best universities for staff design 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 staff design 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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for staff design engineers

The hardest universities for staff design engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for staff design 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 staff design 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

10. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for staff design engineers

The easiest schools for staff design engineers to get into are Kean University, oregon institute of technology, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a staff design 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 staff design engineers.

1. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

2. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

5. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

6. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

7. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

8. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

Average staff design engineer salary by education level

According to our data, staff design engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $162,015 annually. Staff design engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $143,373.
Staff design engineer education levelStaff design engineer salary
Master's Degree$143,373
Bachelor's Degree$124,322
Doctorate Degree$162,015

Staff design engineer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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