Test & development engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a test & development engineer. Test & development engineers usually study electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or computer engineering. 72% of test & development engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,100 real test & development engineer resumes to see exactly what test & development engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for test & development engineers are the San Jose State University and the San Jose State University.

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

There are certain test & development engineer certifications that you should consider. These test & development engineer certifications include Software Engineering Master Certification (SEMC) and Certified LabVIEW Developer (CLD).

What education do you need to become a test & development engineer?

What degree do you need to be a test & development engineer?

The most common degree for test & development engineers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of test & development 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 8%.

Bachelor's, 72%

Master's, 16%

Associate, 8%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a test & development engineer?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a test & development engineer. 45% of test & development engineers major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a test & development engineer include mechanical engineering and computer engineering.

Electrical Engineering, 45%

Mechanical Engineering, 13%

Computer Engineering, 7%

Computer Science, 7%

Other Majors, 28%

Most common colleges for test & development engineers

Test & development engineers often get their degrees at San Jose State University, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and Purdue University. Here are the most common colleges for test & development engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Test & development engineer common college	Percentages
San Jose State University	7.47%
Wentworth Institute of Technology	6.90%
Purdue University	6.90%
Northeastern University	6.32%
University of California - Davis	6.32%

Show more common test & development engineer colleges

Best majors for test & development engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	45.0%
2	Mechanical Engineering	13.0%
3	Computer Engineering	7.0%
4	Computer Science	6.9%
5	Electrical Engineering Technology	6.5%

Show more common test & development engineer majors

Best colleges for test & development engineers

The best colleges for test & development engineers are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.

A test & development 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 test & development 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 test & development engineers.

1. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

2. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

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. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

20 best online courses for test & development engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for test & development engineers

The most affordable schools for test & development engineers are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.

If the best universities for test & development 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 test & development engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Beckley, WV • Private

In-state tuition

$7,464

Cost of attendance

17,166

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 test & development engineers

The hardest universities for test & development engineers to get into are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for test & development 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 test & development 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

9. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for test & development engineers

The easiest schools for test & development engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and pennsylvania state university - berks.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

4. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

5. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

6. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

7. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

8. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

9. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

10. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

Average test & development engineer salary by education level

Test & development engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $92,432 annually. With a Master's degree, test & development engineers earn a median annual income of $92,019 compared to $84,449 for test & development engineers with an Bachelor's degree.

Test & development engineer education level	Test & development engineer salary
Master's Degree	$92,019
Bachelor's Degree	$84,449
Doctorate Degree	$92,432
Some College/ Associate Degree	$73,406

Test & development engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Test & Development Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

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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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