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Certified industrial hygienist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a certified industrial hygienist. Certified industrial hygienists usually study public health, biology, or chemistry. 62% of certified industrial hygienists hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 66 real certified industrial hygienist resumes to see exactly what certified industrial hygienist education sections show.
The most common colleges for certified industrial hygienists are the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa.
There are also many online certified industrial hygienist courses to help get the education required to be a certified industrial hygienist.
What education do you need to become a certified industrial hygienist?
What degree do you need to be a certified industrial hygienist?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 27%
- Associate, 8%
- Doctorate, 3%
What should I major in to become a certified industrial hygienist?
- Public Health, 21%
- Biology, 11%
- Chemistry, 11%
- Pharmacology, 5%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for certified industrial hygienists
| Certified industrial hygienist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Iowa | 12.50% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 8.33% |
| University of Arizona | 8.33% |
| University of Dayton | 4.17% |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | 4.17% |
Best majors for certified industrial hygienists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public Health | 21.1% |
| 2 | Biology | 10.5% |
| 3 | Chemistry | 10.5% |
| 4 | Pharmacology | 5.3% |
| 5 | Geology | 5.3% |
Best colleges for certified industrial hygienists
The best colleges for certified industrial hygienists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A certified industrial hygienist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for certified industrial hygienists. 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 certified industrial hygienists.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
20 best online courses for certified industrial hygienists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for certified industrial hygienists
The most affordable schools for certified industrial hygienists are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for certified industrial hygienists 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 certified industrial hygienists.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce
Mercedita, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,914
Cost of attendance
13,564
9. Augusta University
Augusta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$8,604
Cost of attendance
20,618
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 certified industrial hygienists
The hardest universities for certified industrial hygienists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for certified industrial hygienists 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 certified industrial hygienists 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
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,337
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for certified industrial hygienists
The easiest schools for certified industrial hygienists to get into are D'Youville College, saint joseph's college of maine, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a certified industrial hygienist 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 certified industrial hygienists.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
8. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
9. Saint Xavier University
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
74%
SAT average
1,061
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average certified industrial hygienist salary by education level
| Certified industrial hygienist education level | Certified industrial hygienist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $113,609 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $72,189 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $88,171 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $85,591 |
Certified industrial hygienist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025