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Construction manager/site manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a construction manager/site manager. Construction manager/site managers usually study business, civil engineering, or construction management. 55% of construction manager/site managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 885 real construction manager/site manager resumes to see exactly what construction manager/site manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for construction manager/site managers are the Villanova University and the Villanova University.

There are also many online construction manager/site manager courses to help get the education required to be a construction manager/site manager.

There are certain construction manager/site manager certifications that you should consider. These construction manager/site manager certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Project Management Professional (PMP).

What education do you need to become a construction manager/site manager?

What degree do you need to be a construction manager/site manager?

The most common degree for construction manager/site managers is bachelor's degree, with 55% of construction manager/site managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 55%
  • Associate, 21%
  • Master's, 11%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a construction manager/site manager?

You should major in business to become a construction manager/site manager. 17% of construction manager/site managers major in business. Other common majors for a construction manager/site manager include civil engineering and construction management.

Most common colleges for construction manager/site managers

Construction manager/site managers often get their degrees at Villanova University, University of Houston, and Texas A&M; University. Here are the most common colleges for construction manager/site managers in the US based on their resumes.
Construction manager/site manager common collegePercentages
Villanova University9.38%
University of Houston9.38%
Texas A&M University6.25%
Purdue University6.25%
Oklahoma State University6.25%

Best majors for construction manager/site managers

Best colleges for construction manager/site managers

The best colleges for construction manager/site managers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A construction manager/site manager 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 manager/site managers. 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 manager/site managers.

1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

8. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for construction manager/site managers

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4. Construction Procurement Management

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A course on procurement designed for engineers new to the infrastructure/construction industry...

5. Construction Claims Management

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This Master Course will provide you with a professional claims management system for all your construction projects...

6. The Complete Guide to Construction Management

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7. Construction Cost Estimating and Management

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8. Construction Site Electrical System Design

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9. Construction Claims Management - (9 PDUs)

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10. OSHA Safety Training: Heat Stress Management

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11. SharePoint 2013: Site Manager

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15. Project Management Essentials

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16. Refresher course of Safety Management Systems

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17. SharePoint 365 Fundamentals of Site Management- Intermediate

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Understand Sites, navigation, libraries, searching, views, permissions, and organization of Microsoft 365 Sites...

18. Project Management: Becoming a Successful Project manager

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Project Management...

19. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment

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20. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery

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Top 10 most affordable universities for construction manager/site managers

The most affordable schools for construction manager/site managers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for construction manager/site managers 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 manager/site managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

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 construction manager/site managers

The hardest universities for construction manager/site managers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for construction manager/site managers 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 manager/site managers 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

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

9. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for construction manager/site managers

The easiest schools for construction manager/site managers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and university of north texas at dallas.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a construction manager/site manager 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 manager/site managers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

10. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

Average construction manager/site manager salary by education level

Construction manager/site managers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $137,421 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, construction manager/site managers earn a median annual income of $128,759 compared to $125,933 for construction manager/site managers with an Doctorate degree.
Construction manager/site manager education levelConstruction manager/site manager salary
Master's Degree$137,421
High School Diploma or Less$106,830
Bachelor's Degree$128,759
Doctorate Degree$125,933
Some College/ Associate Degree$111,634

Construction manager/site manager 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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