Building inspector education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a building inspector. Building inspectors usually study business, property management, or civil engineering. 44% of building inspectors hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,964 real building inspector resumes to see exactly what building inspector education sections show.

The most common colleges for building inspectors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain building inspector certifications that you should consider. These building inspector certifications include Certified Building Inspector (CBI) and Certified Construction Manager (CCM).

What education do you need to become a building inspector?

What degree do you need to be a building inspector?

The most common degree for building inspectors is bachelor's degree, with 44% of building inspectors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 44%

Associate, 29%

High School Diploma, 13%

Master's, 5%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a building inspector?

You should major in business to become a building inspector. 18% of building inspectors major in business. Other common majors for a building inspector include property management and civil engineering.

Business, 18%

Property Management, 12%

Civil Engineering, 9%

Construction Management, 7%

Other Majors, 54%

Most common colleges for building inspectors

Building inspectors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Purdue University, and Wentworth Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for building inspectors in the US based on their resumes.

Building inspector common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	9.18%
Purdue University	7.14%
Wentworth Institute of Technology	7.14%
City College of New York of the City University of New York, The	6.12%
University of Florida	5.10%

Show more common building inspector colleges

Best majors for building inspectors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	17.8%
2	Property Management	11.9%
3	Civil Engineering	8.6%
4	Construction Management	7.3%
5	Architecture	7.2%

Show more common building inspector majors

Best colleges for building inspectors

The best colleges for building inspectors are Purdue University, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, and Southern Utah University.

A building 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 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 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. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

4. University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$15,887

Enrollment

23,202

5. Vermont Technical College

Randolph, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,108

Enrollment

1,350

6. Dunwoody College of Technology

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$22,046

Enrollment

1,294

7. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$33,950

Enrollment

4,254

8. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

9. Bemidji State University

Bemidji, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,696

Enrollment

4,308

20 best online courses for building inspectors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for building inspectors

The most affordable schools for building inspectors are Purdue University, southern utah university, and university of new mexico.

If the best universities for building 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 inspectors.

1. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

2. Southern Utah University

Cedar City, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$6,770

Cost of attendance

19,636

3. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,633

Cost of attendance

19,235

4. Eastern New Mexico University

Portales, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,326

Cost of attendance

17,330

5. University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$7,092

Cost of attendance

16,853

6. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Cost of attendance

23,713

7. Vermont Technical College

Randolph, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,108

Cost of attendance

26,669

8. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Cost of attendance

17,885

9. SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,389

Cost of attendance

22,302

10. Utah State University

Logan, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$8,138

Cost of attendance

18,531

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for building inspectors

The hardest universities for building inspectors to get into are Purdue University, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, and Southern Utah University.

Some great schools for building 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 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. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

1,336

3. Southern Utah University

Cedar City, UT • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,183

4. University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, MA • Private

Admissions rate

60%

SAT average

1,302

5. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,120

6. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

Admissions rate

63%

SAT average

1,071

7. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,183

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

Admissions rate

35%

SAT average

1,213

9. Utah State University

Logan, UT • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,201

10. SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

997

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

The easiest schools for building inspectors to get into are SUNY College of Technology at Canton, southern utah university, and purdue university.

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

1. SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

997

2. Southern Utah University

Cedar City, UT • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,183

3. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

4. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,120

5. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

Admissions rate

63%

SAT average

1,071

6. Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,111

7. Northern Michigan University

Marquette, MI • Private

Admissions rate

66%

SAT average

1,091

8. Utah State University

Logan, UT • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,201

9. Montana State University - Bozeman

Bozeman, MT • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,205

10. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,183

Average building inspector salary by education level

According to our data, building inspectors with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $54,790 annually. Building inspectors with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $52,690.

Building inspector education level	Building inspector salary
High School Diploma or Less	$51,357
Bachelor's Degree	$54,790
Some College/ Associate Degree	$52,690

Building inspector education FAQs

What is the best college for Building 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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