Student engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a student engineer. Student engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or civil engineering. 78% of student engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,428 real student engineer resumes to see exactly what student engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for student engineers are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.

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

There are certain student engineer certifications that you should consider. These student engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Certified Chemical Engineer (CCE).

What education do you need to become a student engineer?

What degree do you need to be a student engineer?

The most common degree for student engineers is bachelor's degree, with 78% of student engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 10% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 78%

Associate, 10%

Master's, 8%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a student engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a student engineer. 31% of student engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a student engineer include electrical engineering and civil engineering.

Mechanical Engineering, 31%

Electrical Engineering, 16%

Civil Engineering, 9%

Engineering, 8%

Other Majors, 36%

Most common colleges for student engineers

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

Student engineer common college	Percentages
Texas A&M University	9.07%
Kettering University	8.78%
Purdue University	7.65%
University of California - Davis	6.80%
University of California, Santa Barbara	5.67%

Show more common student engineer colleges

Best majors for student engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	31.3%
2	Electrical Engineering	15.6%
3	Civil Engineering	9.2%
4	Engineering	7.5%
5	Chemical Engineering	7.0%

Show more common student engineer majors

Best colleges for student engineers

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

A student 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 student 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 student 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

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 student engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for student engineers

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

If the best universities for student 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 student 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. 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

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for student engineers

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

Some great schools for student 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 student 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

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 student engineers

The easiest schools for student engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, cleveland state university, and south dakota state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a student 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 student 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. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

4. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

5. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

6. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

7. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

8. Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, TX • Private

Admissions rate

74%

SAT average

980

9. California State University - Chico

Chico, CA • Private

Admissions rate

65%

SAT average

1,092

10. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

Average student engineer salary by education level

According to our data, student engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $85,598 annually. Student engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $79,647.

Student engineer education level	Student engineer salary
Master's Degree	$79,647
Bachelor's Degree	$71,280
Doctorate Degree	$85,598

Student engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Student 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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