Building estimator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a building estimator. Building estimators usually study business, construction management, or drafting and design. 55% of building estimators hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 109 real building estimator resumes to see exactly what building estimator education sections show.

The most common colleges for building estimators are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

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

What education do you need to become a building estimator?

What degree do you need to be a building estimator?

The most common degree for building estimators is bachelor's degree, with 55% of building estimators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 55%

Associate, 29%

High School Diploma, 9%

Master's, 2%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a building estimator?

You should major in business to become a building estimator. 24% of building estimators major in business. Other common majors for a building estimator include construction management and drafting and design.

Business, 24%

Construction Management, 13%

Drafting And Design, 7%

Civil Engineering, 7%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for building estimators

Building estimators often get their degrees at Purdue University, Mississippi State University, and Saint Mary's College. Here are the most common colleges for building estimators in the US based on their resumes.

Building estimator common college	Percentages
Purdue University	12.00%
Mississippi State University	12.00%
Saint Mary's College	8.00%
Missouri State University	4.00%
Kansas State University	4.00%

Show more common building estimator colleges

Best majors for building estimators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	23.6%
2	Construction Management	12.7%
3	Drafting And Design	7.3%
4	Civil Engineering	7.3%
5	Architecture	5.5%

Show more common building estimator majors

Best colleges for building estimators

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

A building estimator 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 estimators. 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 estimators.

1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

20 best online courses for building estimators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for building estimators

The most affordable schools for building estimators are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for building estimators 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 estimators.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for building estimators

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

Some great schools for building estimators 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 estimators 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for building estimators

The easiest schools for building estimators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, pennsylvania state university - fayette (the eberly campus), and pennsylvania state university - worthington scranton.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a building estimator 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 estimators.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

3. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

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 estimator salary by education level

Building estimators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $70,904 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, building estimators earn a median annual income of $65,195 compared to $60,526 for building estimators with an Associate degree.

Building estimator education level	Building estimator salary
Master's Degree	$70,904
High School Diploma or Less	$58,605
Bachelor's Degree	$65,195
Some College/ Associate Degree	$60,526

Building estimator education FAQs

What is the best college for Building Estimators?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial 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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