General contractor education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a general contractor?

You need a high school diploma to be a general contractor. You also need to have the knowledge and experience to pass the licensing exam. Even though a college degree is not required to be a general contractor, obtaining advanced education can be very beneficial. When hiring general contractors, people tend to prefer those with a bachelor's degree. If you don't want to pursue your bachelor's degree, an associate's degree can also be beneficial if you have a good amount of experience to go with it. If you choose to further your education, a good choice would be to pursue a bachelor's degree in construction management. Other good degree options include civil engineering or building/construction science.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a general contractor. General contractors usually study business, construction management, or general studies. 45% of general contractors hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 20,107 real general contractor resumes to see exactly what general contractor education sections show.

The most common colleges for general contractors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online general contractor courses to help get the education required to be a general contractor.

There are certain general contractor certifications that you should consider. These general contractor certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Construction Manager (CCM).

What education do you need to become a general contractor?

What degree do you need to be a general contractor?

The most common degree for general contractors is bachelor's degree, with 45% of general contractors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 21% and high school diploma degree at 20%.

Bachelor's, 45%

High School Diploma, 21%

Associate, 20%

Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a general contractor?

You should major in business to become a general contractor. 28% of general contractors major in business. Other common majors for a general contractor include construction management and general studies.

Business, 28%

Construction Management, 7%

General Studies, 7%

Accounting, 5%

Other Majors, 53%

Most common colleges for general contractors

General contractors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Pennsylvania State University, and Purdue University. Here are the most common colleges for general contractors in the US based on their resumes.

General contractor common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	10.82%
Pennsylvania State University	7.68%
Purdue University	6.27%
University of Florida	5.80%
Central State University	4.86%

Show more common general contractor colleges

Best majors for general contractors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	28.4%
2	Construction Management	7.1%
3	General Studies	6.5%
4	Accounting	5.1%
5	Electrical Engineering	4.9%

Show more common general contractor majors

Best colleges for general contractors

The best colleges for general contractors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A general contractor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for general contractors. 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 general contractors.

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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

7. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for general contractors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for general contractors

The most affordable schools for general contractors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for general contractors 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 general contractors.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

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 general contractors

The hardest universities for general contractors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for general contractors 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 general contractors 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,339

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for general contractors

The easiest schools for general contractors 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 general contractor 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 general contractors.

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. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

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

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

Average general contractor salary by education level

General contractors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $80,282 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, general contractors earn a median annual income of $74,527 compared to $72,661 for general contractors with an Doctorate degree.

General contractor education level	General contractor salary
Master's Degree	$80,282
High School Diploma or Less	$60,210
Bachelor's Degree	$74,527
Doctorate Degree	$72,661
Some College/ Associate Degree	$63,313

General contractor education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a general contractor?

What is the best college for General Contractors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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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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