City surveyor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a city surveyor. City surveyors usually study surveying, mapping, and hydraulic technologies, mechanical engineering, or forestry. 67% of city surveyors hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 18 real city surveyor resumes to see exactly what city surveyor education sections show.

The most common colleges for city surveyors are the Auburn University Main Campus and the Auburn University Main Campus.

There are also many online city surveyor courses to help get the education required to be a city surveyor.

What education do you need to become a city surveyor?

What degree do you need to be a city surveyor?

The most common degree for city surveyors is bachelor's degree, with 67% of city surveyors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 22% and associate degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 67%

Associate, 22%

High School Diploma, 11%

What should I major in to become a city surveyor?

You should major in surveying, mapping, and hydraulic technologies to become a city surveyor. 18% of city surveyors major in surveying, mapping, and hydraulic technologies. Other common majors for a city surveyor include mechanical engineering and forestry.

Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies, 18%

Mechanical Engineering, 18%

Forestry, 6%

Sociology, 6%

Other Majors, 52%

Most common colleges for city surveyors

City surveyors often get their degrees at Auburn University Main Campus, University of Kentucky, and Humboldt State University. Here are the most common colleges for city surveyors in the US based on their resumes.

City surveyor common college	Percentages
Auburn University Main Campus	18.18%
University of Kentucky	9.09%
Humboldt State University	9.09%
Coastal Carolina University	9.09%
Northern Kentucky University	9.09%

Show more common city surveyor colleges

Best majors for city surveyors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies	17.6%
2	Mechanical Engineering	17.6%
3	Forestry	5.9%
4	Sociology	5.9%
5	Business	5.9%

Show more common city surveyor majors

Best colleges for city surveyors

The best colleges for city surveyors are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.

A city surveyor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for city surveyors. 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 city surveyors.

1. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for city surveyors

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3. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation BBS with Excel & CAD

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4. Construction Cost Estimating and Management

4.6

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Learn the tools used by construction management professionals to ensure their projects finish under budget...

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6. Cities and Consumption: Urban Sustainability and the Sharing Economy

How can we govern consumption and the sharing economy in our cities? This course explores cities, consumption and the sharing economy in Europe and around the world. We connect together the key themes of the sharing economy, cities, governance, consumption and urban sustainability. We explore how the sharing economy can contribute to increasing social, environmental and economic sustainability. And we argue that it is imperative that the sharing economy is shaped and designed to advance urban...

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

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9. Planning for Climate Change in African Cities

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10. Housing Justice: A View from Indian Cities

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

12. IT Project Budget & Cost Management

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

13. Studying Cities: Social Science Methods for Urban Research

Welcome! Are you looking to learn more about how to conduct scientific research, specifically in an urban or local context? Then you have found the right course: Studying Cities: Social Science Methods for Urban Research by the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Erasmus University Rotterdam. During the course you will gain more insight in the different steps of the research cycle, and build a firm foundation for your own future research endeavors. Before any (urban)...

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15. Diploma in Basics of Civil Engineering for Construction

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16. Quantity Surveying With Rate Analysis And Take Off-Beginners

4.2

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17. Construction Project Scheduling

4.5

(346)

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

18. Mastering Construction/Project Management

4.2

(659)

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

19. Construction Site Electrical System Design

4.6

(454)

Learn how to design a safe, flexible and durable electrical system for any construction site...

20. Quantity Surveying Templates for Effective Cost Management

4.5

(345)

Quantity Surveying, Payment Application, Payment Tracker, Variation, Claim, Material Claim, Guarantees, Price Comparison...

Top 10 most affordable universities for city surveyors

The most affordable schools for city surveyors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for city surveyors 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 city surveyors.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. United States Merchant Marine Academy

Kings Point, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$1,080

Cost of attendance

6,646

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for city surveyors

The hardest universities for city surveyors to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for city surveyors 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 city surveyors 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

8. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for city surveyors

The easiest schools for city surveyors to get into are Wayland Baptist University, the university of texas permian basin, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a city surveyor 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 city surveyors.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

8. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

Average city surveyor salary by education level

City surveyor education level	City surveyor salary
Bachelor's Degree	$67,929

City surveyor education FAQs

What is the best college for City Surveyors?

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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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