Bridge design engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a bridge design engineer. Bridge design engineers usually study civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or business. 76% of bridge design engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 148 real bridge design engineer resumes to see exactly what bridge design engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for bridge design engineers are the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas.

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

What education do you need to become a bridge design engineer?

What degree do you need to be a bridge design engineer?

The most common degree for bridge design engineers is bachelor's degree, with 76% of bridge design engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 76%

Master's, 13%

Associate, 5%

Doctorate, 2%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a bridge design engineer?

You should major in civil engineering to become a bridge design engineer. 71% of bridge design engineers major in civil engineering. Other common majors for a bridge design engineer include mechanical engineering and business.

Civil Engineering, 71%

Mechanical Engineering, 4%

Business, 3%

Communication, 3%

Other Majors, 19%

Most common colleges for bridge design engineers

Bridge design engineers often get their degrees at University of Kansas, University of Toledo, and Cairn University. Here are the most common colleges for bridge design engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Bridge design engineer common college	Percentages
University of Kansas	7.69%
University of Toledo	7.69%
Cairn University	5.13%
University of Florida	5.13%
University of California - Davis	5.13%

Show more common bridge design engineer colleges

Best majors for bridge design engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Civil Engineering	70.8%
2	Mechanical Engineering	4.4%
3	Business	2.7%
4	Communication	2.7%
5	Engineering	2.7%

Show more common bridge design engineer majors

Best colleges for bridge design engineers

The best colleges for bridge design engineers are Johns Hopkins University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A bridge design 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 bridge design 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 bridge design engineers.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

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. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

9. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for bridge design engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for bridge design engineers

The most affordable schools for bridge design engineers are University of Florida, florida state university, and florida atlantic university.

If the best universities for bridge design 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 bridge design engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

3. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

4. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,310

Cost of attendance

19,807

8. 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

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for bridge design engineers

The hardest universities for bridge design engineers to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for bridge design 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 bridge design 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for bridge design engineers

The easiest schools for bridge design engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, saint martin's university, and washington state university.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

3. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

4. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

5. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

6. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

7. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

8. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

9. Lamar University

Beaumont, TX • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,043

10. North Dakota State University

Fargo, ND • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,170

Average bridge design engineer salary by education level

According to our data, bridge design engineers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $75,382 annually. Bridge design engineers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $74,984.

Bridge design engineer education level	Bridge design engineer salary
Master's Degree	$75,382
Bachelor's Degree	$69,854
Doctorate Degree	$74,984

Bridge design engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Bridge Design 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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