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Systems support engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a systems support engineer. Systems support engineers usually study computer science, electrical engineering, or business. 61% of systems support engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,394 real systems support engineer resumes to see exactly what systems support engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for systems support engineers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online systems support engineer courses to help get the education required to be a systems support engineer.
There are certain systems support engineer certifications that you should consider. These systems support engineer certifications include Oracle Solaris 11 System Administration and Certified UNIX System Administrator (CUSA).
What education do you need to become a systems support engineer?
What degree do you need to be a systems support engineer?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Associate, 22%
- Master's, 11%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a systems support engineer?
- Computer Science, 20%
- Business, 11%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for systems support engineers
| Systems support engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.43% |
| DeVry University | 10.31% |
| Strayer University | 8.76% |
| Purdue University | 6.19% |
| University of Central Florida | 5.67% |
Best majors for systems support engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Science | 19.9% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 18.1% |
| 3 | Business | 10.6% |
| 4 | Computer Information Systems | 8.4% |
| 5 | Information Technology | 7.6% |
Best colleges for systems support engineers
The best colleges for systems support engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A systems support 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 systems support 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 systems support engineers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
20 best online courses for systems support engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for systems support engineers
The most affordable schools for systems support engineers are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for systems support 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 systems support engineers.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. 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
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for systems support engineers
The hardest universities for systems support engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for systems support 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 systems support 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for systems support engineers
The easiest schools for systems support engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and oregon institute of technology.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a systems support 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 systems support engineers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
4. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
5. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
8. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
9. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average systems support engineer salary by education level
| Systems support engineer education level | Systems support engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $91,367 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $80,378 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $88,589 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $81,280 |
Systems support engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025