Tool design engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a tool design engineer. Tool design engineers usually study mechanical engineering, drafting and design, or industrial technology. 60% of tool design engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,188 real tool design engineer resumes to see exactly what tool design engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for tool design engineers are the Western Washington University and the Western Washington University.

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

There are certain tool design engineer certifications that you should consider. These tool design engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE).

What education do you need to become a tool design engineer?

What degree do you need to be a tool design engineer?

The most common degree for tool design engineers is bachelor's degree, with 60% of tool design engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 60%

Associate, 29%

Master's, 6%

Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a tool design engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a tool design engineer. 38% of tool design engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a tool design engineer include drafting and design and industrial technology.

Mechanical Engineering, 38%

Drafting And Design, 14%

Industrial Technology, 7%

Mechanical Engineering Technology, 6%

Other Majors, 35%

Most common colleges for tool design engineers

Tool design engineers often get their degrees at Western Washington University, Arizona State University, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Here are the most common colleges for tool design engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Tool design engineer common college	Percentages
Western Washington University	7.69%
Arizona State University	6.84%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale	5.98%
Wichita State University	5.98%
Pennsylvania State University	5.98%

Show more common tool design engineer colleges

Best majors for tool design engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	37.7%
2	Drafting And Design	14.1%
3	Industrial Technology	7.1%
4	Mechanical Engineering Technology	6.2%
5	Precision Metal Working	4.9%

Show more common tool design engineer majors

Best colleges for tool design engineers

The best colleges for tool design engineers are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and California Institute of Technology.

A tool design 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 tool design 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 tool design engineers.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

2. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

3. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Iowa State University of Science and Technology

Ames, IA • Private

In-state tuition

$8,988

Enrollment

29,248

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

10. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

20 best online courses for tool design engineers

Advertising disclosure

1. Engineering and Product Design Processes

Welcome to “Engineering and Product Design Processes!” In this short course, you will learn how engineering design processes and product design processes are carried out. After the course, you will be familiar with the steps in both design processes. You will also be familiar with the main goal of each design process, as well as their similarities and differences...

2. Learning SOLIDWORKS: For Students, Engineers, and Designers

4.4

(2,712)

For Basic and Intermediate Users...

3. Basics of Sheet metal design for Mechanical design engineers

4.3

(793)

Learn Sheet metal design, processes and practical design considerations along with Design projects...

4. Automotive product design using CATIA V5

4.4

(624)

Automotive domain design using CATIA, interior and exterior trims on CATIA, Plastic product design in Automotive sector...

5. Catia V5 Electrical Harness Design - Automotive & Industrial

4.6

(676)

Learn Catia V5 from a design engineer with more la 18 years experience in automotive, racing and industrial design...

6. Unreal Engine: Intro to Game Design

4.5

(840)

Like Fortnite? Master the tools used to build it as we build a simple shooting gallery game using the Unreal Engine!...

7. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design

4.7

(55,714)

The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...

8. Complete Course in CATIA

4.4

(674)

For Students, Engineers, and Designers...

9. Pro Engineer Creo Fundamental 3D design course

4.3

(1,044)

Learn fundamentals of creo parametric from scratch including part design,drawing,assembly...

10. Mechanical design and Product development process

4.2

(604)

Learn the basic ideas and concepts behind developing mechanical products related to mechanical engineering...

11. Digital Design Masterclass For Graphic Designers

4.7

(1,245)

Icon Set Design, E-book cover, Digitizing Sketches, Social Media Design, Wordpress Web Design, Adobe Xd, GIFS and more!...

12. Graphic Design Mastery: The FULL Branding & Design Process

4.7

(1,014)

Follows the FULL Graphic Design Process for A Company: Logo, Ad, Social Media, T-Shirt, Package, Website Design & More!...

13. Introduction to SOLIDWORKS

4.6

(1,147)

Learn the fundamentals of SOLIDWORKS engineering and design software including parts, drawings, and assemblies...

14. Complete CATIA V5 course - Aerospace, Automotive, Industrial

4.5

(1,945)

Learn CATIA V5 with this perfectly designed course created after live interaction with 1000s of students in classroom...

15. Adobe Photoshop Graphic Design

4.1

(385)

Design 4 Beautiful eye catching Graphic Design Projects from Scratch with Adobe Photoshop Graphic Design Basics...

16. Graphic Design Bootcamp: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

4.5

(16,167)

Bestselling Beginner Course! Use Photoshop, Illustrator, & In Design for logo design, web design, poster design, and more...

17. PG Diploma in Piping Design Engineering

4.2

(839)

Learn Piping Design Engineering...

18. Graphic Design Mastery- AI, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign

4.4

(4,233)

Graphic Design for beginners including Graphic Design Theories, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, AI & Creative Thinking...

19. World of Graphic Design & Infographics

4.4

(2,177)

All about basics of Graphical designing and Infographics...

20. Graphic Design Foundations in Canva: Theory and Projects

4.7

(545)

Learn design theory and practice GREAT graphic design through practical real world projects in Canva...

Top 10 most affordable universities for tool design engineers

The most affordable schools for tool design engineers are Brigham Young University, inter american university of puerto rico san german, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.

If the best universities for tool design 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 tool design engineers.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German

San German, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

14,322

3. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla

Aguadilla, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,284

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for tool design engineers

The hardest universities for tool design engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and California Institute of Technology.

Some great schools for tool design 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 tool design 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

3. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for tool design engineers

The easiest schools for tool design engineers to get into are Saint Martin's University, oregon institute of technology, and south dakota state university.

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

1. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

2. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

3. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

4. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

5. Montana Technological University

Butte, MT • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,199

6. Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,111

7. University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,050

8. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

9. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

10. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

Average tool design engineer salary by education level

According to our data, tool design engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $91,812 annually. Tool design engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $85,313.

Tool design engineer education level	Tool design engineer salary
Master's Degree	$85,313
Bachelor's Degree	$76,191
Doctorate Degree	$91,812

Tool design engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Tool Design Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

Search for tool design engineer jobs

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

Browse architecture and engineering jobs