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Geological engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a geological engineer. Geological engineers usually study geological engineering, geology, or engineering. 75% of geological engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 138 real geological engineer resumes to see exactly what geological engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for geological engineers are the Colorado School of Mines and the Colorado School of Mines.
There are also many online geological engineer courses to help get the education required to be a geological engineer.
What education do you need to become a geological engineer?
What degree do you need to be a geological engineer?
- Bachelor's, 75%
- Master's, 20%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a geological engineer?
- Geology, 27%
- Engineering, 7%
- Other Majors, 19%
Most common colleges for geological engineers
| Geological engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Colorado School of Mines | 20.51% |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology | 10.26% |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | 10.26% |
| Michigan Technological University | 7.69% |
| University of Arizona | 7.69% |
Best majors for geological engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geological Engineering | 41.7% |
| 2 | Geology | 27.2% |
| 3 | Engineering | 6.8% |
| 4 | Civil Engineering | 4.9% |
| 5 | Mining Engineering | 2.9% |
Best colleges for geological engineers
The best colleges for geological engineers are Columbia University in the City of New York, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A geological 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 geological 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 geological engineers.
1. Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO • Private
In-state tuition
$18,964
Enrollment
4,906
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$9,222
Enrollment
23,396
8. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,646
Enrollment
5,736
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. Missouri University of Science and Technology
Rolla, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$9,440
Enrollment
6,785
20 best online courses for geological engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for geological engineers
The most affordable schools for geological engineers are New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for geological 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 geological engineers.
1. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for geological engineers
The hardest universities for geological engineers to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for geological 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 geological 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,503
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for geological engineers
The easiest schools for geological engineers to get into are Old Dominion University, san francisco state university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a geological 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 geological engineers.
1. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
2. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
5. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
6. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
9. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
10. Montana Technological University
Butte, MT • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,199
Average geological engineer salary by education level
| Geological engineer education level | Geological engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $87,101 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $80,529 |
| Doctorate Degree | $93,170 |
Geological engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025