Civil engineering assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a civil engineering assistant. Civil engineering assistants usually study civil engineering, business, or criminal justice. 68% of civil engineering assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 614 real civil engineering assistant resumes to see exactly what civil engineering assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for civil engineering assistants are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

There are also many online civil engineering assistant courses to help get the education required to be a civil engineering assistant.

There are certain civil engineering assistant certifications that you should consider. These civil engineering assistant certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Certified Survey Technician (CST).

What education do you need to become a civil engineering assistant?

What degree do you need to be a civil engineering assistant?

The most common degree for civil engineering assistants is bachelor's degree, with 68% of civil engineering assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 11% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 68%

Associate, 11%

Master's, 7%

High School Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a civil engineering assistant?

You should major in civil engineering to become a civil engineering assistant. 57% of civil engineering assistants major in civil engineering. Other common majors for a civil engineering assistant include business and criminal justice.

Civil Engineering, 57%

Business, 7%

Criminal Justice, 5%

Engineering, 4%

Other Majors, 27%

Most common colleges for civil engineering assistants

Civil engineering assistants often get their degrees at University of California, Santa Barbara, California State University - Northridge, and Michigan Technological University. Here are the most common colleges for civil engineering assistants in the US based on their resumes.

Civil engineering assistant common college	Percentages
University of California, Santa Barbara	8.00%
California State University - Northridge	8.00%
Michigan Technological University	6.00%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale	6.00%
Michigan State University	6.00%

Show more common civil engineering assistant colleges

Best majors for civil engineering assistants

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Civil Engineering	56.9%
2	Business	6.8%
3	Criminal Justice	5.3%
4	Engineering	3.6%
5	Drafting And Design	2.8%

Show more common civil engineering assistant majors

Best colleges for civil engineering assistants

The best colleges for civil engineering assistants are Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A civil engineering assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for civil engineering assistants. 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 civil engineering assistants.

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

3. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

7. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

9. Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$9,080

Enrollment

30,795

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for civil engineering assistants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for civil engineering assistants

The most affordable schools for civil engineering assistants are University of Florida, florida state university, and florida atlantic university.

If the best universities for civil engineering assistants 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 civil engineering assistants.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

3. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

4. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,310

Cost of attendance

19,807

5. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for civil engineering assistants

The hardest universities for civil engineering assistants to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Some great schools for civil engineering assistants 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 civil engineering assistants 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

10. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for civil engineering assistants

The easiest schools for civil engineering assistants to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, washington state university, and alabama a & m university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a civil engineering assistant 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 civil engineering assistants.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

3. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

4. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

5. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

6. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

7. North Dakota State University

Fargo, ND • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,170

8. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

9. Lamar University

Beaumont, TX • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,043

10. The University of Texas at Arlington

Arlington, TX • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,157

Average civil engineering assistant salary by education level

According to our data, civil engineering assistants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $70,020 annually. Civil engineering assistants with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $69,480.

Civil engineering assistant education level	Civil engineering assistant salary
Master's Degree	$70,020
Bachelor's Degree	$62,642
Doctorate Degree	$69,480

Civil engineering assistant education FAQs

What is the best college for Civil Engineering Assistants?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering 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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