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Substation mechanic education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a substation mechanic. Substation mechanics usually study general education, specific areas, computer science, or electrical engineering technology. 38% of substation mechanics hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 43 real substation mechanic resumes to see exactly what substation mechanic education sections show.

The most common colleges for substation mechanics are the Alcorn State University and the Alcorn State University.

There are also many online substation mechanic courses to help get the education required to be a substation mechanic.

What education do you need to become a substation mechanic?

What degree do you need to be a substation mechanic?

The most common degree for substation mechanics is bachelor's degree, with 38% of substation mechanics earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 31% and high school diploma degree at 23%.
  • Bachelor's, 38%
  • High School Diploma, 31%
  • Diploma, 23%
  • Associate, 8%

What should I major in to become a substation mechanic?

You should major in general education, specific areas to become a substation mechanic. 13% of substation mechanics major in general education, specific areas. Other common majors for a substation mechanic include computer science and electrical engineering technology.

Most common colleges for substation mechanics

Substation mechanics often get their degrees at Alcorn State University, Eastwick College, and The Citadel. Here are the most common colleges for substation mechanics in the US based on their resumes.
Substation mechanic common collegePercentages
Alcorn State University25.00%
Eastwick College12.50%
The Citadel12.50%
Saginaw Valley State University12.50%
Indiana University Bloomington12.50%

Best majors for substation mechanics

Best colleges for substation mechanics

The best colleges for substation mechanics are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.

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

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

4,169

3. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Enrollment

11,139

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,389

Enrollment

3,127

8. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for substation mechanics

Advertising disclosure

1. MV Substation - An industrial approach (PART-A)

coursera

This tailor-made certificate course on MV Substation Engineering is curated by the Subject Matter Experts and practitioners of L&T, and is structured pragmatically to help the learner understand the industry practices in carrying out the engineering for substations and selection of various substation equipment in accordance with Indian & International Standards. In addition, it covers the electrical safety rules, safe operating procedures and an overview of maintenance practices to give a...

2. A Practitioner's Approach to Power Distribution & Automation

coursera

Our specialization is a blend of basic and emerging technology in the power distribution sector through two unique courses. First course is Electrical Power Distribution wherein we deal from concept to commissioning level, give exposure to the learners statutory regulations, the different distribution equipment like distribution transformers, pole mounted substation, auto reclosure, sectionlizers, Compact Substation, Ring Main unit. Today we are moving more of digitalization and our...

3. Ultimate Electricity Generation, HV, and Substations Bundle

udemy
4.7
(681)

This electrical engineering bundle consists of electrical substations, high voltage, and electricity generation courses...

4. Air Insulated Electrical Substation Design

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4.5
(437)

This course will give you a great appreciation of Air Insulated Substations and how all of the equipments fit together...

5. Electrical Power Distribution

coursera

This is an application-oriented course explaining the various aspects of power distribution, indoor and outdoor equipment up to 33kV. The course adopts a cross-disciplinary approach to ensure that the learners understand site execution, testing and commissioning. Throughout the course, safety aspects have been emphasized in every area of work. This course blends with conceptual knowledge covering the latest technological trends like SCADA & automation. This course helps learners know the...

6. Electrical Control & Protection Systems

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4.6
(1,763)

This course introduces electrical control & protection systems which are a critical part of any electrical substation...

7. Electrical Power Equipment

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4.6
(939)

Learn how electrical equipments operate and how they fit together into a network...

8. Electrical Control & Protection Part 4

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4.5
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This course introduces electrical control & protection systems which are a critical part of any electrical network...

9. High Voltage Electric Vehicle Safety

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Electric Vehicle Safety Battery Pack Fire Safety Electric Shock Safety Accidental Safety High Voltage Components...

10. Electrical Low Voltage System Distribution Design

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Design of Power & Lighting Distribution System using Auto CAD, DIALux, & Low Voltage Calculations Using Excel Sheets...

11. Electrical Control & Protection Systems part 2

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4.7
(718)

This course introduces electrical control & protection systems which are a critical part of any electrical substation...

12. Electric Circuits for Electrical Engineering and Electronics

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4.5
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Start your career in electrical & electronics engineering by learning everything about electric circuits and electronics...

13. Single and 3-Phase electrical circuit basics A to Z

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4.5
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AC / DC Explained, Single / Three-Phase motor circuits, Test Equipment, House Wiring, Ohm's law and fault finding...

14. Electrical Control & Protection Part 3

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4.7
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This course introduces electrical control & protection systems which are a critical part of any electrical network...

15. Ultimate Power Electronics and Electrical Protection Bundle

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4.6
(656)

The largest and most comprehensive bundle on power electronics and electrical protection for electrical engineering...

16. The Complete Electrical Power Control and Protection

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4.6
(519)

Your Complete Practical Guide in Electrical Control & Protection Systems for Stations , Substations & Distribution Zones...

17. The Complete Electric Circuits Course

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4.2
(263)

Learn the fundamentals of electrical and electronic engineering and then practice 100s of electric circuit problems...

18. Electricity for Electronics, Electrical Engineering A-Z 2023

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4.5
(273)

Fundamentals of Electricity & Electric Circuits for Electronics - Circuit Design - Electrical Engineering...

19. Electrical Power Distribution With,AutoCAD,Excel,DIALUX,Etap

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4.3
(438)

A Practical Complete Guide for Designing Electrical Low Voltage Distribution Systems with Excel ,Dia LUX , Auto CAD & ETAP...

20. The Complete Basic Electricity & Electronics Course

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4.3
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Learn how Electricity, Electronic Components and Circuits work. Join over 5,000 happy students!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for substation mechanics

The most affordable schools for substation mechanics are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for substation mechanics 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 substation mechanics.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for substation mechanics

The hardest universities for substation mechanics to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for substation mechanics 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 substation mechanics 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for substation mechanics

The easiest schools for substation mechanics to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, oregon institute of technology, and capitol technology university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a substation mechanic 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 substation mechanics.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

3. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

9. Lewis-Clark State College

Lewiston, ID • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,009

10. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

Average substation mechanic salary by education level

Substation mechanic education levelSubstation mechanic salary
High School Diploma or Less$38,505

Substation mechanic 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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