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Usability engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a usability engineer. Usability engineers usually study psychology, computer science, or human computer interaction. 64% of usability engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 258 real usability engineer resumes to see exactly what usability engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for usability engineers are the San Jose State University and the San Jose State University.
There are also many online usability engineer courses to help get the education required to be a usability engineer.
What education do you need to become a usability engineer?
What degree do you need to be a usability engineer?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Master's, 23%
- Doctorate, 7%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a usability engineer?
- Psychology, 30%
- Computer Science, 8%
- Graphic Design, 6%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for usability engineers
| Usability engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| San Jose State University | 10.17% |
| University of Washington | 10.17% |
| Stanford University | 6.78% |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 6.78% |
| Arizona State University | 5.08% |
Best majors for usability engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychology | 30.5% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 7.8% |
| 3 | Human Computer Interaction | 6.3% |
| 4 | Graphic Design | 6.3% |
| 5 | Experimental Psychology | 6.3% |
Best colleges for usability engineers
The best colleges for usability engineers are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A usability 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 usability 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 usability engineers.
1. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
2. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
3. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,382
Enrollment
5,597
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
20 best online courses for usability engineers
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5. User Interface Design
In this Specialization, you will learn industry-standard theory and methods for developing successful user interfaces (UIs). Upon completing this Specialization, you will have fluency with the user research, prototyping and evaluation techniques necessary for creating intuitive interfaces that facilitate good user experiences. You will also have demonstrated this fluency through an in-depth Capstone Project that can be shown to prospective employers in the fast-growing field of UI...
6. Introduction to User Experience Principles and Processes
This UX course provides an introduction to the fields of UX research and design. Learners will gain an understanding of what is involved in UX research, including conducting interviews, evaluating systems, and analyzing systems using principles of good design. Learners will also learn about the work involved in UX Design, including the generation of promising design solutions and the creation of prototypes at multiple levels of fidelity. By interleaving successive phases of UX Research and...
7. Usability Testing Boot Camp
Boost your web site's user experience by learning how to run your own usability test from start to finish...
8. How to carry out a usability expert review
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14. UX Design Process from User Research to Usability Testing
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15. Front-End Web Development (Part Time)
Start building responsive websites with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — a versatile skill set with powerful applications in a variety of design, marketing, and other tech-adjacent roles. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
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18. iOS Developer
Master the Swift programming language, and create a portfolio of iOS apps for iPhone and iPad to showcase your skills!...
19. UX Fundamentals: Practical Usability for Product Design
Avoid common mistakes in product design by learning usability principles and analysing tens of real-life examples...
20. User Experience (UX): The Ultimate Guide to Usability and UX
Get a job in UX and build your user research and UX design skills with this hands-on user experience training course...
Top 10 most affordable universities for usability engineers
The most affordable schools for usability engineers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for usability 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 usability engineers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
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 usability engineers
The hardest universities for usability engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for usability 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 usability 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for usability engineers
The easiest schools for usability engineers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, life university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a usability 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 usability engineers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
Average usability engineer salary by education level
| Usability engineer education level | Usability engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $107,314 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $96,218 |
| Doctorate Degree | $118,809 |
Usability engineer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025