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Construction engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a construction engineer. Construction engineers usually study civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or business. 65% of construction engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,158 real construction engineer resumes to see exactly what construction engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for construction engineers are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online construction engineer courses to help get the education required to be a construction engineer.
There are certain construction engineer certifications that you should consider. These construction engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and OSHA Safety Certificate .
What education do you need to become a construction engineer?
What degree do you need to be a construction engineer?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 9%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a construction engineer?
- Civil Engineering, 33%
- Business, 8%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for construction engineers
| Construction engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 9.22% |
| Texas A&M University | 8.19% |
| The University of Alabama | 6.83% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.48% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 5.12% |
Best majors for construction engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Civil Engineering | 33.5% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 12.9% |
| 3 | Business | 8.5% |
| 4 | Construction Management | 7.3% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering | 6.2% |
Best colleges for construction engineers
The best colleges for construction engineers are Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
A construction engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for construction engineers. 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 construction engineers.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
9. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for construction engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for construction engineers
The most affordable schools for construction engineers are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for construction engineers 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 construction engineers.
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. 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
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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 construction engineers
The hardest universities for construction engineers to get into are Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for construction engineers 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 construction engineers 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
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 Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
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 construction engineers
The easiest schools for construction engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a construction engineer 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 construction engineers.
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. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
6. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
7. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
8. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
Average construction engineer salary by education level
| Construction engineer education level | Construction engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $81,122 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $73,694 |
| Doctorate Degree | $80,582 |
Construction engineer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025