Engineer/estimator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an engineer/estimator. Engineers/estimator usually study civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or construction management. 70% of engineers/estimator hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 741 real engineer/estimator resumes to see exactly what engineer/estimator education sections show.

The most common colleges for engineers/estimator are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

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

What education do you need to become an engineer/estimator?

What degree do you need to be an engineer/estimator?

The most common degree for engineers/estimator is bachelor's degree, with 70% of engineers/estimator earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 70%

Associate, 17%

Master's, 9%

Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an engineer/estimator?

You should major in civil engineering to become an engineer/estimator. 27% of engineers/estimator major in civil engineering. Other common majors for an engineer/estimator include mechanical engineering and construction management.

Civil Engineering, 27%

Mechanical Engineering, 15%

Construction Management, 9%

Business, 8%

Other Majors, 41%

Most common colleges for engineers/estimator

Engineers/estimator often get their degrees at Purdue University, Ferris State University, and Kansas State University. Here are the most common colleges for engineers/estimator in the US based on their resumes.

Engineer/estimator common college	Percentages
Purdue University	10.64%
Ferris State University	7.45%
Kansas State University	7.45%
Pennsylvania State University	6.38%
Missouri University of Science and Technology	5.32%

Show more common engineer/estimator colleges

Best majors for engineers/estimator

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Civil Engineering	27.3%
2	Mechanical Engineering	15.4%
3	Construction Management	8.7%
4	Business	8.1%
5	Electrical Engineering	6.5%

Show more common engineer/estimator majors

Best colleges for engineers/estimator

The best colleges for engineers/estimator are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

An engineer/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 engineers/estimator. 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 engineers/estimator.

1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for engineers/estimator

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2. Battery State-of-Health (SOH) Estimation

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3. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation BBS with Excel & CAD

4.4

(1,052)

Quantity Surveying, Construction Estimation ,Quantity survey ,Cost Estimation ,Civil engineering, Building Estimation...

4. Construction Cost Estimating and Management

4.6

(642)

Learn the tools used by construction management professionals to ensure their projects finish under budget...

5. HVAC Ductwork Quantity Take off for Quantity Surveyors

4.4

(284)

HVAC, Duct, Take off, Estimation, Quantity Surveying, Length, Area, Weight, SMACNA, POMI, AUTOCAD, Excel, Template, MEP...

6. Projects Cost Management, Estimating, Budgeting and Control.

4.1

(1,381)

Learn how to estimate costs for any project, how to determine budget and how to use Earned Value Management tools. 3 PDU...

7. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation,Cad Excel & Planswift

4.4

(2,658)

Quantity Surveying, Quantity Takeoff, BBS In Excel ,Complete Project In Autocad, Project Planning With Primavera P6...

8. Learn Estimating & Cost Control

(345)

Develop a good practical understanding of best practice estimating and cost control on building & construction Projects...

9. Diploma in Basics of Civil Engineering for Construction

4.3

(294)

Practical Course to Gain Quick Knowledge in Civil Engineering & Get Entry Level Jobs in Construction as Freshers...

10. Quantity Surveying With Rate Analysis And Take Off-Beginners

4.2

(340)

Quantity Surveying, Quantity Takeoff, Estimation, Rate Analysis, Blubeam Revu, Planswift, Costing, Construction Drawings...

11. Requirements Engineering: Software Engineering

4.4

(754)

Everything you need to know about software requirements: elicitation, analysis, documentation, validation and management...

12. Construction Methodology Basics in Civil Engineering

4.5

(1,001)

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

13. 45 Days Internship on Building Construction Practice on Site

4.5

(401)

All in 1 Course for Civil Engineering Students to Discover Different Fields in Civil Engineering & Choose Your Career...

14. Quantity Surveying Templates for Effective Cost Management

4.5

(345)

Quantity Surveying, Payment Application, Payment Tracker, Variation, Claim, Material Claim, Guarantees, Price Comparison...

15. Engineering Drawing / Graphics: Hands-on Training

4.5

(357)

Master Technical Drawing with Orthographic & Isometric Projections, Engineering curves, Projection of Solids and DLS...

16. Understanding Engineering Drawings

4.2

(384)

How Technical Information is Conveyed from Engineers and Designers to Manufacturing and Supply Chain Professionals...

17. Diesel Engine Fundamentals (Mechanical Engineering)

4.6

(374)

Learn about the diesel engine! Ideal for Automotive Engineering and Automobile Engineering!...

18. Project Management: Cost & Schedule Monitoring using EVM

4.3

(1,114)

Earned Value Management, Project Management, Cost Control & Monitor, Budget, Schedule & Cost Variance, Performance Index...

19. Mechanics / Statics - Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

4.5

(263)

Engineering Solid Mechanics / Engineering Statics...

20. Complete Field Instrumentation Engineering Course

4.3

(259)

Flow, Level, Temperature and Pressure Instrument - Selection, Sizing, Calculation and Detail Engineering...

Top 10 most affordable universities for engineers/estimator

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

If the best universities for engineers/estimator 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 engineers/estimator.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for engineers/estimator

The hardest universities for engineers/estimator to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for engineers/estimator 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 engineers/estimator 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for engineers/estimator

The easiest schools for engineers/estimator to get into are Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus), oklahoma wesleyan university, and the university of texas at el paso.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an engineer/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 engineers/estimator.

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

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

4. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

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. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

8. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

10. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois

DuBois, PA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,079

Average engineer/estimator salary by education level

Engineers/estimator with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $85,763 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, engineers/estimator earn a median annual income of $79,289 compared to $73,967 for engineers/estimator with an Associate degree.

Engineer/estimator education level	Engineer/estimator salary
Master's Degree	$85,763
High School Diploma or Less	$71,769
Bachelor's Degree	$79,289
Some College/ Associate Degree	$73,967

Engineer/estimator education FAQs

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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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