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Engineering Design

Types of Degrees Engineering Design Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Engineering Design have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	267

What Engineering Design Majors Need to Know

Studies in Engineering Design build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Engineering Design graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Engineering Design emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Engineering Design program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Engineering Design careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Engineering Design graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Engineering Design professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Engineering Design graduates include:

• Heat Engineering Teacher
• Metallography Teacher
• Engineering Lecturer
• Ship Construction Teacher
• Manufacturing Engineering Professor
• Design Teacher
• Ceramic Engineering Professor
• Chemical Engineering Teacher
• Electrical Engineering Teacher
• Petroleum Engineering Professor
• Architectural Engineering Teacher
• Motion and Time Study Teacher
• Geological Engineering Teacher
• Chemical Engineering Professor
• Aeronautical Engineering Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Engineering Design graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	30.7%
Bachelor’s degree	29.6%
Master’s degree	11.8%
Post-doctoral training	8.0%
Post-master’s certificate	7.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.8%
Postsecondary certificate	2.1%
Some college courses	1.6%
First professional degree	1.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.7%
Less than a high school diploma	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Engineering Design?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 64% of Engineering Design degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	171	64.0%
Men	96	36.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Engineering Design graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	33	12.4%
Asian	43	16.1%
Hispanic or Latino	7	2.6%
Black or African American	3	1.1%
Two or More Races	3	1.1%
Race Unknown	3	1.1%
International Students	175	65.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Engineering Design Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Engineering Design graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$86,644
4 years	$91,137
5 years	$104,461

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $104,461 — roughly 21% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Engineering Design Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Engineering Design. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Engineering Design Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Engineering Design graduates earn a median of $91,137 four years after completion — roughly 140% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Engineering-Related Fields	8,633
Engineering/Industrial Management	7,766
Packaging Science	391
Engineering-Related Fields, Other	209

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.