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Foundation engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a foundation engineer. Foundation engineers usually study civil engineering, electrical engineering technology, or petroleum engineering. 52% of foundation engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 28 real foundation engineer resumes to see exactly what foundation engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for foundation engineers are the Southern Methodist University and the Southern Methodist University.
There are also many online foundation engineer courses to help get the education required to be a foundation engineer.
What education do you need to become a foundation engineer?
What degree do you need to be a foundation engineer?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Associate, 22%
- Master's, 13%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a foundation engineer?
- Civil Engineering, 29%
- Soil Science, 4%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for foundation engineers
| Foundation engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Southern Methodist University | 7.69% |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | 7.69% |
| University of Colorado at Boulder | 7.69% |
| University of California, San Francisco | 7.69% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 7.69% |
Best majors for foundation engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Civil Engineering | 29.2% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 8.3% |
| 3 | Petroleum Engineering | 8.3% |
| 4 | Soil Science | 4.2% |
| 5 | Finance | 4.2% |
Best colleges for foundation engineers
The best colleges for foundation engineers are Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.
A foundation 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 foundation 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 foundation engineers.
1. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for foundation engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for foundation engineers
The most affordable schools for foundation engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for foundation 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 foundation engineers.
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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for foundation engineers
The hardest universities for foundation engineers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for foundation 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 foundation 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for foundation engineers
The easiest schools for foundation engineers to get into are Barry University, texas a&m; university - kingsville, and the university of texas permian basin.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a foundation 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 foundation engineers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
3. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average foundation engineer salary by education level
| Foundation engineer education level | Foundation engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $85,785 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $74,763 |
| Doctorate Degree | $84,969 |
Foundation 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