Wind tunnel engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a wind tunnel engineer. Wind tunnel engineers usually study aerospace engineering, civil engineering, or mechanical engineering. 71% of wind tunnel engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 52 real wind tunnel engineer resumes to see exactly what wind tunnel engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for wind tunnel engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

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

What education do you need to become a wind tunnel engineer?

What degree do you need to be a wind tunnel engineer?

The most common degree for wind tunnel engineers is bachelor's degree, with 71% of wind tunnel engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 71%

Master's, 17%

Associate, 7%

Diploma, 5%

What should I major in to become a wind tunnel engineer?

You should major in aerospace engineering to become a wind tunnel engineer. 26% of wind tunnel engineers major in aerospace engineering. Other common majors for a wind tunnel engineer include civil engineering and mechanical engineering.

Aerospace Engineering, 26%

Civil Engineering, 22%

Mechanical Engineering, 11%

Mining Engineering, 11%

Other Majors, 30%

Most common colleges for wind tunnel engineers

Wind tunnel engineers often get their degrees at Purdue University, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Here are the most common colleges for wind tunnel engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Wind tunnel engineer common college	Percentages
Purdue University	7.69%
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus	7.69%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	7.69%
University of Maine	7.69%
Texas A&M University	7.69%

Show more common wind tunnel engineer colleges

Best majors for wind tunnel engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Aerospace Engineering	26.1%
2	Civil Engineering	21.7%
3	Mechanical Engineering	10.9%
4	Mining Engineering	10.9%
5	Electrical Engineering	6.5%

Show more common wind tunnel engineer majors

Best colleges for wind tunnel engineers

The best colleges for wind tunnel engineers are Columbia University in the City of New York, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.

A wind tunnel 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 wind tunnel 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 wind tunnel engineers.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

20 best online courses for wind tunnel engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for wind tunnel engineers

The most affordable schools for wind tunnel engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and new mexico institute of mining and technology.

If the best universities for wind tunnel 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 wind tunnel engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

6. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. 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

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for wind tunnel engineers

The hardest universities for wind tunnel engineers to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for wind tunnel 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 wind tunnel 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

9. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for wind tunnel engineers

The easiest schools for wind tunnel engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, alabama a & m university, and portland state university.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

3. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

4. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

5. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

6. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

7. The University of Texas at Arlington

Arlington, TX • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,157

8. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. California State University - Chico

Chico, CA • Private

Admissions rate

65%

SAT average

1,092

Average wind tunnel engineer salary by education level

Wind tunnel engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $101,785 annually. With a Master's degree, wind tunnel engineers earn a median annual income of $97,338 compared to $89,974 for wind tunnel engineers with an Bachelor's degree.

Wind tunnel engineer education level	Wind tunnel engineer salary
Master's Degree	$97,338
Bachelor's Degree	$89,974
Doctorate Degree	$101,785

Wind tunnel engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Wind Tunnel 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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