Vehicle controls engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a vehicle controls engineer. Vehicle controls engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or business. 66% of vehicle controls engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 174 real vehicle controls engineer resumes to see exactly what vehicle controls engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for vehicle controls engineers are the Michigan Technological University and the Michigan Technological University.

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

What education do you need to become a vehicle controls engineer?

What degree do you need to be a vehicle controls engineer?

The most common degree for vehicle controls engineers is bachelor's degree, with 66% of vehicle controls engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 66%

Master's, 22%

Associate, 6%

Doctorate, 3%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a vehicle controls engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a vehicle controls engineer. 53% of vehicle controls engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a vehicle controls engineer include electrical engineering and business.

Mechanical Engineering, 53%

Electrical Engineering, 9%

Business, 7%

Aerospace Engineering, 6%

Other Majors, 25%

Most common colleges for vehicle controls engineers

Vehicle controls engineers often get their degrees at Michigan Technological University, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Here are the most common colleges for vehicle controls engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Vehicle controls engineer common college	Percentages
Michigan Technological University	10.20%
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	8.16%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	6.12%
Georgia Institute of Technology	6.12%
Arizona State University	6.12%

Show more common vehicle controls engineer colleges

Best majors for vehicle controls engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	52.6%
2	Electrical Engineering	9.5%
3	Business	7.3%
4	Aerospace Engineering	5.8%
5	Engineering	5.1%

Show more common vehicle controls engineer majors

Best colleges for vehicle controls engineers

The best colleges for vehicle controls engineers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A vehicle controls 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 vehicle controls 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 vehicle controls engineers.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

10. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

20 best online courses for vehicle controls engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for vehicle controls engineers

The most affordable schools for vehicle controls engineers are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.

If the best universities for vehicle controls 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 vehicle controls engineers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

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 vehicle controls engineers

The hardest universities for vehicle controls engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for vehicle controls 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 vehicle controls 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for vehicle controls engineers

The easiest schools for vehicle controls engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, oklahoma wesleyan university, and capitol technology university.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

6. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

10. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

Average vehicle controls engineer salary by education level

According to our data, vehicle controls engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $123,670 annually. Vehicle controls engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $112,720.

Vehicle controls engineer education level	Vehicle controls engineer salary
Master's Degree	$112,720
Bachelor's Degree	$97,719
Doctorate Degree	$123,670

Vehicle controls engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Vehicle Controls Engineers?

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