Designer/estimator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a designer/estimator. Designer/estimators usually study drafting and design, architecture, or business. 45% of designer/estimators hold a bachelor's degree, and 40% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 688 real designer/estimator resumes to see exactly what designer/estimator education sections show.

The most common colleges for designer/estimators are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

There are also many online designer/estimator courses to help get the education required to be a designer/estimator.

What education do you need to become a designer/estimator?

What degree do you need to be a designer/estimator?

The most common degree for designer/estimators is bachelor's degree, with 45% of designer/estimators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 40% and associate degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 45%

Associate, 40%

High School Diploma, 6%

Master's, 5%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a designer/estimator?

You should major in drafting and design to become a designer/estimator. 21% of designer/estimators major in drafting and design. Other common majors for a designer/estimator include architecture and business.

Drafting And Design, 21%

Architecture, 10%

Business, 9%

Civil Engineering, 9%

Other Majors, 51%

Most common colleges for designer/estimators

Designer/estimators often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, Colorado State University, and University of Nevada - Las Vegas. Here are the most common colleges for designer/estimators in the US based on their resumes.

Designer/estimator common college	Percentages
Pennsylvania State University	10.77%
Colorado State University	9.23%
University of Nevada - Las Vegas	7.69%
Central State University	6.15%
Vermont Technical College	6.15%

Show more common designer/estimator colleges

Best majors for designer/estimators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Drafting And Design	21.5%
2	Architecture	10.3%
3	Business	9.1%
4	Civil Engineering	8.5%
5	Interior Design	6.8%

Show more common designer/estimator majors

Best colleges for designer/estimators

The best colleges for designer/estimators are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A designer/estimator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for designer/estimators. 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 designer/estimators.

1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for designer/estimators

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(2,658)

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6. Learn Estimating & Cost Control

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17. Construction Site Electrical System Design

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Learn how to design a safe, flexible and durable electrical system for any construction site...

18. Construction Methodology Basics in Civil Engineering

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(1,001)

New Home Construction & Building construction along with Home Repair ,Estimation & Plumbing With Video Step By Step...

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(1,349)

A Practical Guide in the Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning with Programs & Layouts (Including 4 Practical Projects)...

20. Become an HVAC PRO_The Ultimate HVAC Guide

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Top 10 most affordable universities for designer/estimators

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

If the best universities for designer/estimators 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 designer/estimators.

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. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for designer/estimators

The hardest universities for designer/estimators to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for designer/estimators 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 designer/estimators 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for designer/estimators

The easiest schools for designer/estimators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, pennsylvania state university - fayette (the eberly campus), and pennsylvania state university - worthington scranton.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a designer/estimator 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 designer/estimators.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

3. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average designer/estimator salary by education level

According to our data, designer/estimators with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $58,804 annually. Designer/estimators with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $54,854.

Designer/estimator education level	Designer/estimator salary
Master's Degree	$58,804
High School Diploma or Less	$50,219
Bachelor's Degree	$54,854
Some College/ Associate Degree	$51,579

Designer/estimator education FAQs

What is the best college for Designer/Estimators?

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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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