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Irrigation engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an irrigation engineer. Irrigation engineers usually study agricultural engineering, civil engineering, or biological engineering. 85% of irrigation engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 53 real irrigation engineer resumes to see exactly what irrigation engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for irrigation engineers are the Michigan State University and the Michigan State University.
There are also many online irrigation engineer courses to help get the education required to be an irrigation engineer.
What education do you need to become an irrigation engineer?
What degree do you need to be an irrigation engineer?
- Bachelor's, 85%
- Master's, 12%
- Doctorate, 4%
What should I major in to become an irrigation engineer?
- Civil Engineering, 22%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for irrigation engineers
| Irrigation engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Michigan State University | 15.38% |
| Utah State University | 15.38% |
| University of Dayton | 7.69% |
| Arapahoe Community College | 7.69% |
| Texas Tech University | 7.69% |
Best majors for irrigation engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agricultural Engineering | 25.0% |
| 2 | Civil Engineering | 22.2% |
| 3 | Biological Engineering | 8.3% |
| 4 | Natural Resources Management | 5.6% |
| 5 | Engineering | 5.6% |
Best colleges for irrigation engineers
The best colleges for irrigation engineers are Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University.
An irrigation 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 irrigation 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 irrigation engineers.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
5. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
9. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
20 best online courses for irrigation engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for irrigation engineers
The most affordable schools for irrigation engineers are University of Florida, city college of new york of the city university of new york, the, and florida international university.
If the best universities for irrigation 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 irrigation engineers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. 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
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for irrigation engineers
The hardest universities for irrigation engineers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University.
Some great schools for irrigation 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 irrigation 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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for irrigation engineers
The easiest schools for irrigation engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, texas a&m; university - kingsville, and pennsylvania state university - altoona.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an irrigation 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 irrigation engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
3. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona
Altoona, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,094
4. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
5. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
6. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
7. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
8. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
9. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
10. Lamar University
Beaumont, TX • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,043
Average irrigation engineer salary by education level
| Irrigation engineer education level | Irrigation engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $72,904 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $66,563 |
| Doctorate Degree | $72,444 |
Irrigation engineer 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