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Industrial hygienist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an industrial hygienist. Industrial hygienists usually study public health, biology, or environmental science. 71% of industrial hygienists hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,368 real industrial hygienist resumes to see exactly what industrial hygienist education sections show.
The most common colleges for industrial hygienists are the Columbia Southern University and the Columbia Southern University.
There are also many online industrial hygienist courses to help get the education required to be an industrial hygienist.
There are certain industrial hygienist certifications that you should consider. These industrial hygienist certifications include Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH).
What education do you need to become an industrial hygienist?
What degree do you need to be an industrial hygienist?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an industrial hygienist?
- Public Health, 28%
- Biology, 16%
- Chemistry, 8%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for industrial hygienists
| Industrial hygienist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Columbia Southern University | 8.33% |
| Utah State University | 7.99% |
| Purdue University | 7.64% |
| University of North Alabama | 5.90% |
| Eastern Kentucky University | 5.90% |
Best majors for industrial hygienists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public Health | 28.2% |
| 2 | Biology | 16.2% |
| 3 | Environmental Science | 12.2% |
| 4 | Chemistry | 8.0% |
| 5 | Occupational Safety And Health | 4.8% |
Best colleges for industrial hygienists
The best colleges for industrial hygienists are Duke University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
An industrial hygienist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for industrial hygienists. 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 industrial hygienists.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
3. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
4. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
10. University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$18,499
Enrollment
12,668
20 best online courses for industrial hygienists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for industrial hygienists
The most affordable schools for industrial hygienists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for industrial hygienists 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 industrial hygienists.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for industrial hygienists
The hardest universities for industrial hygienists to get into are Duke University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for industrial hygienists 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 industrial hygienists 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
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. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for industrial hygienists
The easiest schools for industrial hygienists to get into are Curry College, saint joseph's college of maine, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an industrial hygienist 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 industrial hygienists.
1. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
2. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
5. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
6. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
7. Lourdes University
Sylvania, OH • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,069
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,062
10. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
Average industrial hygienist salary by education level
| Industrial hygienist education level | Industrial hygienist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $84,103 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $71,661 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $56,612 |
Industrial hygienist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025