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Hydraulic engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a hydraulic engineer. Hydraulic engineers usually study civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or surveying, mapping, and hydraulic technologies. 67% of hydraulic engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 394 real hydraulic engineer resumes to see exactly what hydraulic engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for hydraulic engineers are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.
There are also many online hydraulic engineer courses to help get the education required to be a hydraulic engineer.
There are certain hydraulic engineer certifications that you should consider. These hydraulic engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Fluid Power Hydraulic Specialist (CFPHS).
What education do you need to become a hydraulic engineer?
What degree do you need to be a hydraulic engineer?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a hydraulic engineer?
- Civil Engineering, 35%
- Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies, 5%
- Engineering, 4%
- Other Majors, 30%
Most common colleges for hydraulic engineers
| Hydraulic engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas A&M University | 11.27% |
| Purdue University | 8.45% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 7.04% |
| University of Iowa | 5.63% |
| Youngstown State University | 5.63% |
Best majors for hydraulic engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Civil Engineering | 35.0% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 26.1% |
| 3 | Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies | 4.7% |
| 4 | Engineering | 4.3% |
| 5 | Nuclear Engineering | 3.0% |
Best colleges for hydraulic engineers
The best colleges for hydraulic engineers are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.
A hydraulic 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 hydraulic 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 hydraulic engineers.
1. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
2. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for hydraulic engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for hydraulic engineers
The most affordable schools for hydraulic engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for hydraulic 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 hydraulic engineers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. 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
7. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hydraulic engineers
The hardest universities for hydraulic engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for hydraulic 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 hydraulic 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for hydraulic engineers
The easiest schools for hydraulic engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and oregon institute of technology.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hydraulic 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 hydraulic engineers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
4. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
5. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
10. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
Average hydraulic engineer salary by education level
| Hydraulic engineer education level | Hydraulic engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $95,380 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $83,503 |
| Doctorate Degree | $103,980 |
Hydraulic engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025