Best Colleges and Degrees For Inventors

Updated April 5, 2024

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an inventor. Inventors usually study business, mechanical engineering, or drafting and design. 55% of inventors hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 293 real inventor resumes to see exactly what inventor education sections show.

The most common colleges for inventors are the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

There are also many online inventor courses to help get the education required to be an inventor.

What education do you need to become an inventor?

What degree do you need to be an inventor?

The most common degree for inventors is bachelor's degree, with 55% of inventors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 15%.

Bachelor's, 55%

Associate, 16%

Master's, 15%

Doctorate, 5%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become an inventor?

Based on the given data, the best college majors for an inventor are typically fine arts, engineering, or architecture. A bachelor's degree in these fields is often required for entry-level industrial design jobs. According to the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, successful completion of basic art and design courses is usually needed before entry into a bachelor's degree program.

Business, 17%

Mechanical Engineering, 13%

Drafting And Design, 9%

Computer Science, 8%

Other Majors, 53%

Most common colleges for inventors

Inventors often get their degrees at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and Rochester Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for inventors in the US based on their resumes.

Inventor Common College	Percentages
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	13.04%
Johns Hopkins University	8.70%
Rochester Institute of Technology	6.52%
Pennsylvania State University	6.52%
San Diego State University	6.52%

Show more common inventor colleges

Best majors for inventors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	16.7%
2	Mechanical Engineering	13.3%
3	Drafting And Design	9.2%
4	Computer Science	7.5%
5	Marketing	5.8%

Show more common inventor majors

Best colleges for inventors

The top colleges for inventors include Northwestern University, Stanford University, and the University of Pennsylvania. These institutions matter for inventors as they offer programs that align with the typical education distribution for this profession, which heavily favors a Bachelor's degree. They also provide opportunities for advanced education, which can lead to higher salaries and better job prospects.

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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

10. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-State Tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

20 best online courses for inventors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for inventors

The most affordable schools for inventors are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.

If the best universities for inventors 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 inventors.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Cost of Attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,798

Cost of Attendance

18,306

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,381

Cost of Attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,749

Cost of Attendance

14,823

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,410

Cost of Attendance

20,456

6. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,770

Cost of Attendance

21,244

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$4,094

Cost of Attendance

14,302

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,556

Cost of Attendance

19,434

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,620

Cost of Attendance

18,136

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 inventors

The hardest universities for inventors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for inventors 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 inventors 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

SAT Average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions Rate

SAT Average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

SAT Average

1,492

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

17%

SAT Average

1,507

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

SAT Average

1,520

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions Rate

SAT Average

1,516

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

11%

SAT Average

1,471

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions Rate

11%

SAT Average

1,513

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions Rate

15%

SAT Average

1,506

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

20%

SAT Average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for inventors

The easiest schools for inventors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, university of the incarnate word, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an inventor 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 inventors.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

82%

SAT Average

983

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

88%

SAT Average

1,044

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

98%

SAT Average

1,003

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

93%

SAT Average

1,026

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

84%

SAT Average

1,031

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions Rate

90%

SAT Average

994

7. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

83%

SAT Average

1,061

8. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions Rate

96%

SAT Average

1,111

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions Rate

68%

SAT Average

964

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions Rate

96%

SAT Average

1,139

Average inventor salary by education level

According to our data, inventors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $84,808 annually. Inventors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $74,175.

Inventor education level	Inventor salary
Master's Degree	$74,175
Bachelor's Degree	$65,741
Doctorate Degree	$84,808
Some College/ Associate Degree	$57,411

Inventor Education FAQs

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Updated April 5, 2024

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.

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Best Colleges and Degrees For Inventors - Zippia (2024)

What education do you need to become an inventor?

What degree do you need to be an inventor?

What should I major in to become an inventor?

Most common colleges for inventors

Best majors for inventors

Best colleges for inventors

1. Northwestern University

2. Stanford University

3. University of Pennsylvania

4. Cornell University

5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6. Carnegie Mellon University

7. Harvard University

8. Duke University

9. University of Texas at Austin

10. Georgia Institute of Technology

20 best online courses for inventors

Top 10 most affordable universities for inventors

1. SUNY Farmingdale

2. California State University - Long Beach

3. University of Florida

4. California State University - Los Angeles

5. University of South Florida

6. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

8. Florida International University

9. Brigham Young University

10. Florida State University

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for inventors

1. Stanford University

2. Northwestern University

3. University of Pennsylvania

4. Carnegie Mellon University

5. Harvard University

6. Duke University

7. Cornell University

8. Johns Hopkins University

9. Washington University in St Louis

10. New York University

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for inventors

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

2. University of the Incarnate Word

3. Wayland Baptist University

4. Curry College

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

6. Notre Dame College

7. LIM College

8. Saint Martin's University

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Average inventor salary by education level

Inventor Education FAQs

What is the best college for Inventors?

Search for inventor jobs