Staff engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a staff engineer. Staff engineers usually study electrical engineering, civil engineering, or mechanical engineering. 74% of staff engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 7,977 real staff engineer resumes to see exactly what staff engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for staff engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

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

There are certain staff engineer certifications that you should consider. These staff engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Six Sigma Green Belt.

What education do you need to become a staff engineer?

What degree do you need to be a staff engineer?

The most common degree for staff engineers is bachelor's degree, with 74% of staff engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 74%

Master's, 16%

Associate, 5%

Doctorate, 3%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a staff engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a staff engineer. 24% of staff engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a staff engineer include civil engineering and mechanical engineering.

Electrical Engineering, 24%

Civil Engineering, 20%

Mechanical Engineering, 14%

Computer Science, 6%

Other Majors, 36%

Most common colleges for staff engineers

Staff engineers often get their degrees at Purdue University, Pennsylvania State University, and Texas A&M; University. Here are the most common colleges for staff engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Staff engineer common college	Percentages
Purdue University	9.40%
Pennsylvania State University	7.48%
Texas A&M University	6.23%
University of California, Santa Barbara	5.85%
Ohio State University	5.66%

Show more common staff engineer colleges

Best majors for staff engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	24.2%
2	Civil Engineering	20.2%
3	Mechanical Engineering	14.4%
4	Computer Science	6.3%
5	Chemical Engineering	4.8%

Show more common staff engineer majors

Best colleges for staff engineers

The best colleges for staff engineers are Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A 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 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 staff engineers.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for staff engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for staff engineers

The most affordable schools for staff engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and florida state university.

If the best universities for 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 staff engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

5. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for staff engineers

The hardest universities for staff engineers to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for 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 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

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

The easiest schools for staff engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, south dakota state university, and alabama a & m university.

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

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. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

4. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

5. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

6. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

7. California State University - Chico

Chico, CA • Private

Admissions rate

65%

SAT average

1,092

8. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

9. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

10. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

Average staff engineer salary by education level

According to our data, staff engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $140,852 annually. Staff engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $125,933.

Staff engineer education level	Staff engineer salary
Master's Degree	$125,933
Bachelor's Degree	$105,985
Doctorate Degree	$140,852

Staff engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Staff Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

Search for staff engineer jobs

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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