Highway design engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a highway design engineer. Highway design engineers usually study civil engineering, drafting and design, or mechanical engineering. 85% of highway design engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 7% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 138 real highway design engineer resumes to see exactly what highway design engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for highway design engineers are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

There are also many online highway design engineer courses to help get the education required to be a highway design engineer.

What education do you need to become a highway design engineer?

What degree do you need to be a highway design engineer?

The most common degree for highway design engineers is bachelor's degree, with 85% of highway design engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 7% and master's degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 85%

Master's, 7%

Associate, 7%

High School Diploma, 1%

What should I major in to become a highway design engineer?

You should major in civil engineering to become a highway design engineer. 66% of highway design engineers major in civil engineering. Other common majors for a highway design engineer include drafting and design and mechanical engineering.

Civil Engineering, 66%

Drafting And Design, 6%

Mechanical Engineering, 5%

Engineering, 5%

Other Majors, 18%

Most common colleges for highway design engineers

Highway design engineers often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, and Clarkson University. Here are the most common colleges for highway design engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Highway design engineer common college	Percentages
Pennsylvania State University	12.90%
Purdue University	6.45%
Clarkson University	6.45%
West Virginia University	6.45%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	6.45%

Show more common highway design engineer colleges

Best majors for highway design engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Civil Engineering	66.4%
2	Drafting And Design	6.4%
3	Mechanical Engineering	4.5%
4	Engineering	4.5%
5	Architectural Engineering	1.8%

Show more common highway design engineer majors

Best colleges for highway design engineers

The best colleges for highway design engineers are Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University.

A highway design 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 highway design 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 highway design engineers.

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

3. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

4. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

5. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for highway design engineers

Advertising disclosure

1. Engineering Project Management

Master strategies and tools to more effectively and successfully manage projects.\n\nToday’s professional environment is highly competitive, continuously changing, and difficult to manage. Employees rarely reach positions of leadership without managing one or more projects or a project segment early in their career.\n\nBrought to you by the Rice Center of Engineering Leadership and team behind the engineering management master's program, the goal of this Specialization is to give you the tools...

2. Road design With AutoCAD Civil 3D + Open Chanel Design

4.5

(250)

Complete Roads and highways Design + Open Channel + Roundabout Design with bonus course videos with autocad & Civil 3...

3. BIM applications for Roads, Highways & Transportation design

4.5

(274)

Your guide to plan, design, analyze and manage roads design and transportation projects using infraworks BIM application...

4. 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...

5. Basics of Sheet metal design for Mechanical design engineers

4.3

(793)

Learn Sheet metal design, processes and practical design considerations along with Design projects...

6. AutoCAD Civil 3D Training: The Ultimate Course

4.4

(905)

Get the Auto CAD Civil 3D Premium Course and Free download Pdf Book (reference training manual)...

7. Pro Engineer Creo Fundamental 3D design course

4.3

(1,044)

Learn fundamentals of creo parametric from scratch including part design,drawing,assembly...

8. 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...

9. Unreal Engine: Intro to Game Design

4.5

(840)

Like Fortnite? Master the tools used to build it as we build a simple shooting gallery game using the Unreal Engine!...

10. Graphic Design Masterclass: Learn Graphic Design in Projects

4.5

(2,609)

Graphic design principles, typography, & color mastery using Illustrator, In Design, and Photoshop. For beginners & more!...

11. Learning AutoCAD Civil 3D 2016

4.5

(387)

A Practical Course That Teaches How To Get The Most From Auto CAD Civil 3D...

12. Construction Cost Estimating and Management

4.6

(642)

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

13. 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...

14. Construction Project Scheduling

4.5

(346)

Learn the tools and techniques used by construction management professionals to ensure projects finish on time...

15. Master Graphic Design & Software with Practical Projects

4.5

(737)

Conquer Popular Graphic Design Projects: Logo, Package, Magazine, Book Cover Design, Branding, Digital Graphics & More!...

16. AutoCAD Civil 3D - MEGA course for Civil Works

4.4

(327)

Autodesk Civil3D - All the land works design, from zero to expert...

17. PG Diploma in Piping Design Engineering

4.2

(839)

Learn Piping Design Engineering...

18. Design Thinking & Project Management: 2 in 1 Complete Guides

4.3

(780)

(1) DT: Empathy, Define, Ideation, Prototype, Testing PLUS (2) PM: Planning, Cost, Quality, Risks, Feasibility, Methods...

19. 47 Graphic Design Projects for Photoshop Beginners

4.8

(324)

Photoshop graphic design for beginners! Includes 47 Photoshop projects for your graphic design portfolio...

20. Construction Site Electrical System Design

4.6

(454)

Learn how to design a safe, flexible and durable electrical system for any construction site...

Top 10 most affordable universities for highway design engineers

The most affordable schools for highway design engineers are City College of New York of the City University of New York, The, university of south florida, and university of florida.

If the best universities for highway design 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 highway design engineers.

1. 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

2. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for highway design engineers

The hardest universities for highway design engineers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for highway design 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 highway design 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

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. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for highway design engineers

The easiest schools for highway design engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, pennsylvania state university - dubois, and lamar university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a highway design 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 highway design engineers.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois

DuBois, PA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,079

3. Lamar University

Beaumont, TX • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,043

4. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

5. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

6. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

7. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

8. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

9. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

10. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

Average highway design engineer salary by education level

Highway design engineers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $79,073 annually. With a Doctorate degree, highway design engineers earn a median annual income of $78,469 compared to $70,809 for highway design engineers with an Bachelor's degree.

Highway design engineer education level	Highway design engineer salary
Master's Degree	$79,073
Bachelor's Degree	$70,809
Doctorate Degree	$78,469

Highway design engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Highway Design Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

Search for highway design engineer jobs

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

Browse architecture and engineering jobs