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Hydrographer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a hydrographer. Hydrographers usually study geology, geography, or business. 70% of hydrographers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 47 real hydrographer resumes to see exactly what hydrographer education sections show.

The most common colleges for hydrographers are the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas.

There are also many online hydrographer courses to help get the education required to be a hydrographer.

What education do you need to become a hydrographer?

What degree do you need to be a hydrographer?

The most common degree for hydrographers is bachelor's degree, with 70% of hydrographers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 70%
  • Master's, 22%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Associate, 4%

What should I major in to become a hydrographer?

You should major in geology to become a hydrographer. 21% of hydrographers major in geology. Other common majors for a hydrographer include geography and business.

Most common colleges for hydrographers

Hydrographers often get their degrees at University of North Texas, Webster University, and University of Wyoming. Here are the most common colleges for hydrographers in the US based on their resumes.
Hydrographer common collegePercentages
University of North Texas8.70%
Webster University8.70%
University of Wyoming8.70%
New York University4.35%
Arapahoe Community College4.35%

Best majors for hydrographers

Best colleges for hydrographers

The best colleges for hydrographers are Johns Hopkins University, Northeastern University, and University of Southern California.

A hydrographer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for hydrographers. 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 hydrographers.

1. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

7. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$50,226

Enrollment

10,873

8. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

9. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

20 best online courses for hydrographers

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14. The Data Science Course: Complete Data Science Bootcamp 2023

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15. Server-side web GIS applications with Leaflet and PostGIS

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Accessing common data stores...

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19. An introduction to GIS and QGIS 3

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Learn the fundamentals of GIS and get comfortable with QGIS interface...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for hydrographers

The most affordable schools for hydrographers are Brigham Young University, florida international university, and university of florida.

If the best universities for hydrographers 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 hydrographers.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hydrographers

The hardest universities for hydrographers to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Northeastern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for hydrographers 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 hydrographers 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

2. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

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. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for hydrographers

The easiest schools for hydrographers to get into are Wayland Baptist University, adventhealth university, and ottawa university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hydrographer 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 hydrographers.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

3. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

6. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

7. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

8. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

9. Lewis-Clark State College

Lewiston, ID • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,009

10. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

Average hydrographer salary by education level

Hydrographers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $62,426 annually. With a Associate degree, hydrographers earn a median annual income of $56,128 compared to $53,073 for hydrographers with an Bachelor's degree.
Hydrographer education levelHydrographer salary
Master's Degree$62,426
High School Diploma or Less$50,645
Bachelor's Degree$53,073
Some College/ Associate Degree$56,128

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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