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Lead piping designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a lead piping designer. Lead piping designers usually study drafting and design, mechanical engineering, or engineering. 50% of lead piping designers hold a associate degree, and 21% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,051 real lead piping designer resumes to see exactly what lead piping designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for lead piping designers are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.

There are also many online lead piping designer courses to help get the education required to be a lead piping designer.

What education do you need to become a lead piping designer?

What degree do you need to be a lead piping designer?

The most common degree for lead piping designers is associate degree, with 50% of lead piping designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 21% and bachelor's degree degree at 12%.
  • Associate, 50%
  • Bachelor's, 21%
  • High School Diploma, 12%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become a lead piping designer?

You should major in drafting and design to become a lead piping designer. 42% of lead piping designers major in drafting and design. Other common majors for a lead piping designer include mechanical engineering and engineering.

Most common colleges for lead piping designers

Lead piping designers often get their degrees at University of Houston, Southeastern Louisiana University, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for lead piping designers in the US based on their resumes.
Lead piping designer common collegePercentages
University of Houston19.35%
Southeastern Louisiana University11.29%
University of Phoenix8.06%
Brazosport College6.45%
Lamar University4.84%

Best majors for lead piping designers

Best colleges for lead piping designers

The best colleges for lead piping designers are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and California Institute of Technology.

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

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

2. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

3. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Iowa State University of Science and Technology

Ames, IA • Private

In-state tuition

$8,988

Enrollment

29,248

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

10. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

20 best online courses for lead piping designers

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1. Piping Design Engineering & Piping Isometrics Masterclass

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3. Designing Piping Systems: Pipe Fittings Flanges Valves

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Understanding piping systems , their components , codes & specification for successful design , construction & operation...

4. Flow of fluids through piping systems , valves and pumps

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Learn to size valves & piping systems, calculate pressure drop, flow of liquids & gases through pipe , fittings & valves...

5. Know Read Understand Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams P & IDs

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Learn how Process Control, Safety Instrumented Systems, Interlock & Alarms are represented in engineering P & ID drawings...

6. Learn CAESAR II: The complete piping stress analysis course

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Learn everything you need to know about piping stress analysis using CAESAR II software, from beginner to expert - 2022...

7. How To Read Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams Made Easy

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8. 3D Modeling Piped Systems in AutoCAD

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9. Complete Course on Piping Valves for Your Career Success

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10. Valves: Principles , Operation & Designs

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18. Advanced Process Control & Safety Instrumented Systems SIS

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19. Heat Exchangers: Design , Operation & Maintenance

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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead piping designers

The most affordable schools for lead piping designers are Brigham Young University, inter american university of puerto rico san german, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.

If the best universities for lead piping designers 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 lead piping designers.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German

San German, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

14,322

3. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

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. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla

Aguadilla, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,284

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lead piping designers

The hardest universities for lead piping designers to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and California Institute of Technology.

Some great schools for lead piping designers 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 lead piping designers 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

3. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,566

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead piping designers

The easiest schools for lead piping designers to get into are Saint Martin's University, oregon institute of technology, and south dakota state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead piping designer 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 lead piping designers.

1. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

2. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

3. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

4. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

5. Montana Technological University

Butte, MT • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,199

6. Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,111

7. University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,050

8. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

9. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

10. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

Average lead piping designer salary by education level

According to our data, lead piping designers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $138,439 annually. Lead piping designers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $126,625.
Lead piping designer education levelLead piping designer salary
Master's Degree$126,625
Bachelor's Degree$110,369
Doctorate Degree$138,439

Lead piping designer 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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