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Irrigation manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an irrigation manager. Irrigation managers usually study plant sciences, business, or criminal justice. 44% of irrigation managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 266 real irrigation manager resumes to see exactly what irrigation manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for irrigation managers are the Central Washington University and the Central Washington University.

There are also many online irrigation manager courses to help get the education required to be an irrigation manager.

There are certain irrigation manager certifications that you should consider. These irrigation manager certifications include Certified Irrigation Designer (CID) and Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor (CLIA).

What education do you need to become an irrigation manager?

What degree do you need to be an irrigation manager?

The most common degree for irrigation managers is bachelor's degree, with 44% of irrigation managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 21%.
  • Bachelor's, 44%
  • Associate, 25%
  • High School Diploma, 21%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an irrigation manager?

You should major in plant sciences to become an irrigation manager. 17% of irrigation managers major in plant sciences. Other common majors for an irrigation manager include business and criminal justice.

Most common colleges for irrigation managers

Irrigation managers often get their degrees at Central Washington University, Western Washington University, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for irrigation managers in the US based on their resumes.
Irrigation manager common collegePercentages
Central Washington University6.45%
Western Washington University6.45%
University of Florida6.45%
Iowa State University of Science and Technology6.45%
Eastern Oregon University6.45%

Best majors for irrigation managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Plant Sciences17.4%
2Business16.3%
3Criminal Justice7.6%
4Applied Horticulture7.6%
5Finance5.4%

Best colleges for irrigation managers

The best colleges for irrigation managers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Cornell University.

An irrigation manager 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 managers. 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 managers.

1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

2. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

4. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,360

Enrollment

3,142

5. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

6. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

In-state tuition

$15,374

Enrollment

19,564

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

9. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Fayetteville, AR • Private

In-state tuition

$9,130

Enrollment

23,121

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for irrigation managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for irrigation managers

The most affordable schools for irrigation managers are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for irrigation managers 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 managers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for irrigation managers

The hardest universities for irrigation managers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Cornell University.

Some great schools for irrigation managers 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 managers 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,339

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,362

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for irrigation managers

The easiest schools for irrigation managers to get into are Wayland Baptist University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an irrigation manager 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 managers.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average irrigation manager salary by education level

Irrigation managers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $34,378 annually. With a Associate degree, irrigation managers earn a median annual income of $33,438 compared to $31,696 for irrigation managers with an High School Diploma degree.
Irrigation manager education levelIrrigation manager salary
High School Diploma or Less$31,696
Bachelor's Degree$34,378
Some College/ Associate Degree$33,438

Irrigation manager education FAQs

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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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