Building code inspector education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a building code inspector. Building code inspectors usually study business, education, or criminal justice. 44% of building code inspectors hold a bachelor's degree, and 33% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 129 real building code inspector resumes to see exactly what building code inspector education sections show.

The most common colleges for building code inspectors are the Kansas State University and the Kansas State University.

There are also many online building code inspector courses to help get the education required to be a building code inspector.

What education do you need to become a building code inspector?

What degree do you need to be a building code inspector?

The most common degree for building code inspectors is bachelor's degree, with 44% of building code inspectors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 33% and associate degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 44%

Associate, 33%

High School Diploma, 11%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a building code inspector?

You should major in business to become a building code inspector. 15% of building code inspectors major in business. Other common majors for a building code inspector include education and criminal justice.

Business, 15%

Education, 8%

Criminal Justice, 8%

Property Management, 8%

Other Majors, 61%

Most common colleges for building code inspectors

Building code inspectors often get their degrees at Kansas State University, Middle Tennessee State University, and Missouri State University. Here are the most common colleges for building code inspectors in the US based on their resumes.

Building code inspector common college	Percentages
Kansas State University	9.09%
Middle Tennessee State University	9.09%
Missouri State University	4.55%
Eastern Michigan University	4.55%
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania	4.55%

Show more common building code inspector colleges

Best majors for building code inspectors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	15.4%
2	Education	7.7%
3	Criminal Justice	7.7%
4	Property Management	7.7%
5	Construction Management	7.7%

Show more common building code inspector majors

Best colleges for building code inspectors

The best colleges for building code inspectors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A building code inspector with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for building code inspectors. 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 building code inspectors.

1. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$7,092

Enrollment

1,216

7. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$33,950

Enrollment

4,254

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. The University of Texas at San Antonio

San Antonio, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,049

Enrollment

27,380

10. SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,389

Enrollment

3,127

20 best online courses for building code inspectors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for building code inspectors

The most affordable schools for building code inspectors are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for building code inspectors 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 building code inspectors.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for building code inspectors

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

Some great schools for building code inspectors 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 building code inspectors 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for building code inspectors

The easiest schools for building code inspectors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a building code inspector 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 building code inspectors.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average building code inspector salary by education level

According to our data, building code inspectors with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $57,262 annually. Building code inspectors with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $54,974.

Building code inspector education level	Building code inspector salary
High School Diploma or Less	$53,524
Bachelor's Degree	$57,262
Some College/ Associate Degree	$54,974

Building code inspector education FAQs

What is the best college for Building Code Inspectors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common construction and extraction 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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