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General superintendent education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a general superintendent. General superintendents usually study business, construction management, or civil engineering. 46% of general superintendents hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 6,435 real general superintendent resumes to see exactly what general superintendent education sections show.
The most common colleges for general superintendents are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online general superintendent courses to help get the education required to be a general superintendent.
There are certain general superintendent certifications that you should consider. These general superintendent certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Construction Manager (CCM).
What education do you need to become a general superintendent?
What degree do you need to be a general superintendent?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Associate, 22%
- High School Diploma, 17%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a general superintendent?
- Business, 21%
- Civil Engineering, 10%
- Management, 5%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for general superintendents
| General superintendent common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 10.55% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.86% |
| New York University | 7.17% |
| Wentworth Institute of Technology | 5.91% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.91% |
Best majors for general superintendents
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 21.4% |
| 2 | Construction Management | 16.6% |
| 3 | Civil Engineering | 9.8% |
| 4 | Management | 5.2% |
| 5 | Engineering | 4.8% |
Best colleges for general superintendents
The best colleges for general superintendents are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A general superintendent 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 superintendents. 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 superintendents.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
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. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
20 best online courses for general superintendents
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9. Managing Employees Young & Old (Multi-Generation Mgmt)
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10. Revit Structure Beginners to Advanced (Contractor Services)
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11. Lead Generation & Business Development with Dekker Fraser
Customer Acquisition, B2B Marketing, Sales Funnels, Business Development, Demand Generation, Sales Funnel Marketing...
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13. OSHA Safety Training: Conducting Safety Meetings
A Brief Safety Management Course for Current and Aspiring Safety Professionals...
14. The Complete Guide to Construction Management
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15. Construction Site Electrical System Design
Learn how to design a safe, flexible and durable electrical system for any construction site...
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Learn the tools and techniques used by construction management professionals to ensure projects finish on time...
17. Introduction to Collections, Generics & Reflection in Java
A Guide to Understand Generics, Collections Framework (Data Structures), Stream API and Reflection in Java!...
18. Managing Generational Conflict
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19. OSHA Safety Pro: Trenching Excavation & Soil Mechanics
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20. Constructing a Website With Google Sites
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Top 10 most affordable universities for general superintendents
The most affordable schools for general superintendents are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.
If the best universities for general superintendents 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 superintendents.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
10. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for general superintendents
The hardest universities for general superintendents to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for general superintendents 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 superintendents 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
8. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for general superintendents
The easiest schools for general superintendents to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry 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 superintendent 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 superintendents.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
10. Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,080
Average general superintendent salary by education level
| General superintendent education level | General superintendent salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $93,459 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $69,286 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $82,349 |
| Doctorate Degree | $90,528 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $71,094 |
General superintendent education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025