Civil engineering technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a civil engineering technician. Civil engineering technicians usually study civil engineering, civil engineering technologies, or drafting and design. 44% of civil engineering technicians hold a associate degree, and 42% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,750 real civil engineering technician resumes to see exactly what civil engineering technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for civil engineering technicians are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

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

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

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

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

The most common degree for civil engineering technicians is associate degree, with 44% of civil engineering technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 42% and bachelor's degree degree at 5%.

Associate, 44%

Bachelor's, 42%

High School Diploma, 5%

Master's, 4%

Other Degrees, 5%

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

You should major in civil engineering to become a civil engineering technician. 29% of civil engineering technicians major in civil engineering. Other common majors for a civil engineering technician include civil engineering technologies and drafting and design.

Civil Engineering, 29%

Civil Engineering Technologies, 18%

Drafting And Design, 15%

Engineering, 6%

Other Majors, 32%

Most common colleges for civil engineering technicians

Civil engineering technicians often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, and Ferris State University. Here are the most common colleges for civil engineering technicians in the US based on their resumes.

Civil engineering technician common college	Percentages
Pennsylvania State University	9.28%
Purdue University	7.22%
Ferris State University	6.19%
Youngstown State University	6.19%
New Mexico State University	6.19%

Show more common civil engineering technician colleges

Best majors for civil engineering technicians

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Civil Engineering	28.6%
2	Civil Engineering Technologies	18.3%
3	Drafting And Design	15.0%
4	Engineering	6.4%
5	Business	4.6%

Show more common civil engineering technician majors

Best colleges for civil engineering technicians

The best colleges for civil engineering technicians are Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Tufts University.

A civil engineering technician 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 technicians. 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 technicians.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

7. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Enrollment

24,841

9. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$33,950

Enrollment

4,254

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for civil engineering technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for civil engineering technicians

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

If the best universities for civil engineering technicians 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 technicians.

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. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

7. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,310

Cost of attendance

19,807

8. 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

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for civil engineering technicians

The hardest universities for civil engineering technicians to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Tufts University.

Some great schools for civil engineering technicians 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 technicians 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. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,339

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

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

The easiest schools for civil engineering technicians to get into are Ferris State University, south dakota state university, and purdue university fort wayne.

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

1. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

2. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

3. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

4. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

5. Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, MI • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,025

6. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento, CA • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,030

7. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

8. University of Toledo

Toledo, OH • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

1,145

9. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

10. California State University - Chico

Chico, CA • Private

Admissions rate

65%

SAT average

1,092

Average civil engineering technician salary by education level

Civil engineering technicians with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $60,138 annually. With a Associate degree, civil engineering technicians earn a median annual income of $57,258 compared to $56,313 for civil engineering technicians with an Bachelor's degree.

Civil engineering technician education level	Civil engineering technician salary
Master's Degree	$60,138
High School Diploma or Less	$53,475
Bachelor's Degree	$56,313
Some College/ Associate Degree	$57,258

Civil engineering technician education FAQs

What is the best college for Civil Engineering Technicians?

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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