Oil tanker captain education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an oil tanker captain. Oil tanker captains usually study business, mechanical engineering, or small business management. 63% of oil tanker captains hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 49 real oil tanker captain resumes to see exactly what oil tanker captain education sections show.

The most common colleges for oil tanker captains are the Kentucky State University and the Kentucky State University.

There are also many online oil tanker captain courses to help get the education required to be an oil tanker captain.

What education do you need to become an oil tanker captain?

What degree do you need to be an oil tanker captain?

The most common degree for oil tanker captains is bachelor's degree, with 63% of oil tanker captains earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 13% and high school diploma degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 63%

High School Diploma, 13%

Master's, 13%

Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become an oil tanker captain?

You should major in business to become an oil tanker captain. 9% of oil tanker captains major in business. Other common majors for an oil tanker captain include mechanical engineering and small business management.

Business, 9%

Mechanical Engineering, 9%

Small Business Management, 9%

Marine Transportation, 9%

Other Majors, 64%

Most common colleges for oil tanker captains

Oil tanker captains often get their degrees at Kentucky State University, Central State University, and Drake University. Here are the most common colleges for oil tanker captains in the US based on their resumes.

Oil tanker captain common college	Percentages
Kentucky State University	20.00%
Central State University	20.00%
Drake University	20.00%
Massachusetts Maritime Academy	20.00%
Pikes Peak Community College	20.00%

Best majors for oil tanker captains

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	9.1%
2	Mechanical Engineering	9.1%
3	Small Business Management	9.1%
4	Marine Transportation	9.1%
5	Precision Metal Working	9.1%

Show more common oil tanker captain majors

Best colleges for oil tanker captains

The best colleges for oil tanker captains are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

An oil tanker captain with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for oil tanker captains. 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 oil tanker captains.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

3. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,360

Enrollment

3,142

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$7,092

Enrollment

1,216

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Siena Heights University

Adrian, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$27,124

Enrollment

2,035

8. University of Alaska Anchorage

Anchorage, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$8,580

Enrollment

10,482

9. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for oil tanker captains

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Top 10 most affordable universities for oil tanker captains

The most affordable schools for oil tanker captains are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for oil tanker captains 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 oil tanker captains.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

7. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$7,092

Cost of attendance

16,853

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Cost of attendance

24,718

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for oil tanker captains

The hardest universities for oil tanker captains to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for oil tanker captains 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 oil tanker captains 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for oil tanker captains

The easiest schools for oil tanker captains to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an oil tanker captain 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 oil tanker captains.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average oil tanker captain salary by education level

Oil tanker captains with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $68,859 annually. With a Associate degree, oil tanker captains earn a median annual income of $55,850 compared to $52,736 for oil tanker captains with an High School Diploma degree.

Oil tanker captain education level	Oil tanker captain salary
High School Diploma or Less	$52,736
Bachelor's Degree	$68,859
Some College/ Associate Degree	$55,850

Oil tanker captain education FAQs

What is the best college for Oil Tanker Captains?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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