Start-up engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a start-up engineer. Start-up engineers usually study electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or chemical engineering. 72% of start-up engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 740 real start-up engineer resumes to see exactly what start-up engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for start-up engineers are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

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

What education do you need to become a start-up engineer?

What degree do you need to be a start-up engineer?

The most common degree for start-up engineers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of start-up engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 72%

Associate, 13%

Master's, 7%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a start-up engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a start-up engineer. 19% of start-up engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a start-up engineer include mechanical engineering and chemical engineering.

Electrical Engineering, 19%

Mechanical Engineering, 18%

Chemical Engineering, 17%

Engineering, 7%

Other Majors, 39%

Most common colleges for start-up engineers

Start-up engineers often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, Texas A&M; University, and The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. Here are the most common colleges for start-up engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Start-up engineer common college	Percentages
Pennsylvania State University	11.90%
Texas A&M University	8.33%
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville	7.14%
Michigan Technological University	5.95%
Auburn University Main Campus	5.95%

Show more common start-up engineer colleges

Best majors for start-up engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	18.7%
2	Mechanical Engineering	18.1%
3	Chemical Engineering	16.5%
4	Engineering	7.0%
5	Management	5.4%

Show more common start-up engineer majors

Best colleges for start-up engineers

The best colleges for start-up engineers are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.

A start-up 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 start-up 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 start-up 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for start-up engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for start-up engineers

The most affordable schools for start-up engineers are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for start-up 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 start-up engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Beckley, WV • Private

In-state tuition

$7,464

Cost of attendance

17,166

9. 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

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 start-up engineers

The hardest universities for start-up engineers to get into are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for start-up 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 start-up 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

SAT average

1,508

2. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for start-up engineers

The easiest schools for start-up engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, cleveland state university, and texas a&m; university - kingsville.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

3. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

4. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

5. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

6. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

7. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

8. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

9. Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, TX • Private

Admissions rate

74%

SAT average

980

10. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

Average start-up engineer salary by education level

According to our data, start-up engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $126,897 annually. Start-up engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $113,505.

Start-up engineer education level	Start-up engineer salary
Master's Degree	$113,505
Bachelor's Degree	$95,590
Doctorate Degree	$126,897

Start-up engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Start-Up Engineers?

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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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