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Civil technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a civil technician. Civil technicians usually study drafting and design, civil engineering, or business. 35% of civil technicians hold a associate degree, and 32% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 299 real civil technician resumes to see exactly what civil technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for civil technicians are the Michigan Technological University and the Michigan Technological University.

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

What education do you need to become a civil technician?

What degree do you need to be a civil technician?

The most common degree for civil technicians is associate degree, with 35% of civil technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 32% and bachelor's degree degree at 19%.
  • Associate, 35%
  • Bachelor's, 32%
  • High School Diploma, 19%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a civil technician?

You should major in drafting and design to become a civil technician. 23% of civil technicians major in drafting and design. Other common majors for a civil technician include civil engineering and business.

Most common colleges for civil technicians

Civil technicians often get their degrees at Michigan Technological University, Campbell University, and The Art Institute of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for civil technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Civil technician common collegePercentages
Michigan Technological University7.69%
Campbell University7.69%
The Art Institute of Phoenix7.69%
The University of Alabama7.69%
Hampton University7.69%

Best majors for civil technicians

Best colleges for civil technicians

The best colleges for civil technicians are Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A civil 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 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 technicians.

1. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

3. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$33,950

Enrollment

4,254

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

20 best online courses for civil technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for civil technicians

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

If the best universities for civil 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 technicians.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. 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

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for civil technicians

The hardest universities for civil technicians to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for civil 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 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

10. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

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

The easiest schools for civil technicians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and oregon institute of technology.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

4. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

8. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

9. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

10. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

Average civil technician salary by education level

Civil technicians with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $60,657 annually. With a Associate degree, civil technicians earn a median annual income of $58,308 compared to $57,531 for civil technicians with an Bachelor's degree.
Civil technician education levelCivil technician salary
Master's Degree$60,657
High School Diploma or Less$55,186
Bachelor's Degree$57,531
Some College/ Associate Degree$58,308

Civil technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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