Chief estimator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chief estimator. Chief estimators usually study business, civil engineering, or construction management. 60% of chief estimators hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,328 real chief estimator resumes to see exactly what chief estimator education sections show.

The most common colleges for chief estimators are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

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

There are certain chief estimator certifications that you should consider. These chief estimator certifications include Certified Construction Manager (CCM) and Certified Estimating Professional (CPE).

What education do you need to become a chief estimator?

What degree do you need to be a chief estimator?

The most common degree for chief estimators is bachelor's degree, with 60% of chief estimators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 60%

Associate, 18%

Master's, 9%

High School Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a chief estimator?

You should major in business to become a chief estimator. 19% of chief estimators major in business. Other common majors for a chief estimator include civil engineering and construction management.

Business, 19%

Civil Engineering, 16%

Construction Management, 14%

Engineering, 5%

Other Majors, 46%

Most common colleges for chief estimators

Chief estimators often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, University of Florida, and Georgia Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for chief estimators in the US based on their resumes.

Chief estimator common college	Percentages
Pennsylvania State University	9.65%
University of Florida	7.89%
Georgia Institute of Technology	7.02%
Kansas State University	6.14%
Auburn University Main Campus	5.26%

Show more common chief estimator colleges

Best majors for chief estimators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	19.1%
2	Civil Engineering	16.3%
3	Construction Management	14.4%
4	Engineering	5.3%
5	Architecture	4.9%

Show more common chief estimator majors

Best colleges for chief estimators

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

A chief 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 chief 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 chief estimators.

1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

20 best online courses for chief estimators

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3. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation BBS with Excel & CAD

4.4

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Quantity Surveying, Construction Estimation ,Quantity survey ,Cost Estimation ,Civil engineering, Building Estimation...

4. Construction Cost Estimating and Management

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5. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation,Cad Excel & Planswift

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6. Projects Cost Management, Estimating, Budgeting and Control.

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Learn how to estimate costs for any project, how to determine budget and how to use Earned Value Management tools. 3 PDU...

7. Learn Estimating & Cost Control

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Develop a good practical understanding of best practice estimating and cost control on building & construction Projects...

8. HVAC Ductwork Quantity Take off for Quantity Surveyors

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11. Contracts Management in Construction Projects

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Contracts Management, Contract Administration, FIDIC, Bank Guarantees, Contracts, Letter Drafting, Quantity Surveying...

12. Learn Xactimate in less than 4 hours

4.3

(582)

Introduction to Xactimate - Cost Estimation Software for Construction Project...

13. IT Project Budget & Cost Management

4.4

(290)

Project Management tips to manage a million dollar IT Project budget from start to finish...

14. Project Management: Cost & Schedule Monitoring using EVM

4.3

(1,114)

Earned Value Management, Project Management, Cost Control & Monitor, Budget, Schedule & Cost Variance, Performance Index...

15. Diploma in Basics of Civil Engineering for Construction

4.3

(294)

Practical Course to Gain Quick Knowledge in Civil Engineering & Get Entry Level Jobs in Construction as Freshers...

16. Construction Project Scheduling

4.5

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Learn the tools and techniques used by construction management professionals to ensure projects finish on time...

17. Bid writing: Improve your bid writing success

(307)

Learn how to write a strong winning bid and earn CPD points...

18. 45 Days Internship on Building Construction Practice on Site

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All in 1 Course for Civil Engineering Students to Discover Different Fields in Civil Engineering & Choose Your Career...

19. Mastering Construction/Project Management

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Mastering Construction-Project Management in less than 10 Hours...

20. Master Agile Estimation: Top Techniques for Scrum & Kanban

4.6

(1,619)

Gain the skills to create Scrum & Kanban based agile estimates that work for both your agile team and your stakeholders...

Top 10 most affordable universities for chief estimators

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

If the best universities for chief 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 chief estimators.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief estimators

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

Some great schools for chief 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 chief 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. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

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

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

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief 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 chief 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. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

8. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

Average chief estimator salary by education level

Chief estimators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $114,372 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, chief estimators earn a median annual income of $106,078 compared to $99,238 for chief estimators with an Associate degree.

Chief estimator education level	Chief estimator salary
Master's Degree	$114,372
High School Diploma or Less	$96,408
Bachelor's Degree	$106,078
Some College/ Associate Degree	$99,238

Chief estimator education FAQs

What is the best college for Chief Estimators?

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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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