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Highway technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a highway technician. Highway technicians usually study business, criminal justice, or general studies. 44% of highway technicians hold a high school diploma, and 26% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 435 real highway technician resumes to see exactly what highway technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for highway technicians are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online highway technician courses to help get the education required to be a highway technician.
What education do you need to become a highway technician?
What degree do you need to be a highway technician?
- High School Diploma, 44%
- Bachelor's, 26%
- Associate, 17%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a highway technician?
- Business, 14%
- Criminal Justice, 11%
- General Studies, 9%
- Communication, 8%
- Other Majors, 58%
Most common colleges for highway technicians
| Highway technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 12.50% |
| Kent State University | 9.38% |
| Ohio State University | 6.25% |
| Ball State University | 6.25% |
| Vincennes University | 6.25% |
Best majors for highway technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 14.4% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 11.1% |
| 3 | General Studies | 8.9% |
| 4 | Communication | 7.8% |
| 5 | Civil Engineering | 7.8% |
Best colleges for highway technicians
The best colleges for highway technicians are Purdue University, University of Rochester, and Tufts University.
A highway technician 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 technicians. 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 technicians.
1. Wentworth Institute of Technology
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$33,950
Enrollment
4,254
2. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
3. Vermont Technical College
Randolph, VT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,108
Enrollment
1,350
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
5. Maine Maritime Academy
Castine, ME • Private
In-state tuition
$13,478
Enrollment
979
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,382
Enrollment
5,597
10. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,570
Enrollment
3,721
20 best online courses for highway technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for highway technicians
The most affordable schools for highway technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university - idaho.
If the best universities for highway technicians 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 technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brigham Young University - Idaho
Rexburg, ID • Private
In-state tuition
$4,118
Cost of attendance
12,223
4. California State University - Sacramento
Sacramento, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,310
Cost of attendance
19,807
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
7. New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,120
Cost of attendance
13,997
8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
9. Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,194
Cost of attendance
14,934
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for highway technicians
The hardest universities for highway technicians to get into are Purdue University, University of Rochester, and Tufts University.
Some great schools for highway technicians 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 technicians 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. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
2. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
3. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
4. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,269
5. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,367
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. Wentworth Institute of Technology
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
76%
SAT average
1,183
8. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
1,291
9. Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
66%
SAT average
1,319
10. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
62%
SAT average
1,220
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for highway technicians
The easiest schools for highway technicians to get into are Ferris State University, purdue university fort wayne, and indiana state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a highway technician 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 technicians.
1. Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,070
2. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
3. Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,019
4. Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,062
5. California State University - Sacramento
Sacramento, CA • Private
Admissions rate
64%
SAT average
1,030
6. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton
Dunmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,056
7. SUNY College of Technology at Canton
Canton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
997
8. Bluefield State College
Bluefield, WV • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
1,020
9. Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI • Private
Admissions rate
76%
SAT average
1,025
10. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
Average highway technician salary by education level
| Highway technician education level | Highway technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $38,321 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,233 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,561 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $36,999 |
Highway technician 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