Piping engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a piping engineer. Piping engineers usually study mechanical engineering, engineering, or chemical engineering. 78% of piping engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,068 real piping engineer resumes to see exactly what piping engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for piping engineers are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.

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

There are certain piping engineer certifications that you should consider. These piping engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Piping Inspector Certification (API).

What education do you need to become a piping engineer?

What degree do you need to be a piping engineer?

The most common degree for piping engineers is bachelor's degree, with 78% of piping engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 78%

Master's, 11%

Associate, 5%

Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a piping engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become a piping engineer. 63% of piping engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for a piping engineer include engineering and chemical engineering.

Mechanical Engineering, 63%

Engineering, 8%

Chemical Engineering, 4%

Mechanical Engineering Technology, 4%

Other Majors, 21%

Most common colleges for piping engineers

Piping engineers often get their degrees at Texas A&M; University, Georgia Southern University, and Clemson University. Here are the most common colleges for piping engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Piping engineer common college	Percentages
Texas A&M University	7.50%
Georgia Southern University	7.50%
Clemson University	7.50%
University of Houston	7.50%
University of Washington	6.25%

Show more common piping engineer colleges

Best majors for piping engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	62.6%
2	Engineering	8.0%
3	Chemical Engineering	4.5%
4	Mechanical Engineering Technology	4.1%
5	Civil Engineering	3.5%

Show more common piping engineer majors

Best colleges for piping engineers

The best colleges for piping engineers are California Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A piping 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 piping 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 piping engineers.

1. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. Iowa State University of Science and Technology

Ames, IA • Private

In-state tuition

$8,988

Enrollment

29,248

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

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 piping engineers

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1. Protecting the World: Introducing Corrosion Science and Engineering

If you have ever encountered rusty car bodies, leaking pipes, tarnished silverware or the green patina of a copper roof then you have experienced corrosion in action. This course, from the Corrosion@Manchester team in collaboration with AkzoNobel, will teach you why metals corrode, what the environmental consequences are, how much corrosion costs and how corrosion can be controlled. It is designed for students, householders, teachers, professionals and anyone in-between. The aim of the course...

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

4.5

(385)

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

3. Piping Design Engineering & Piping Isometrics Masterclass

4.6

(712)

Everything you need to know to draft , design & fabricate your piping system & piping isometrics like a pro...

4. PG Diploma in Piping Design Engineering

4.2

(839)

Learn Piping Design Engineering...

5. Designing Piping Systems: Pipe Fittings Flanges Valves

4.5

(314)

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

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

4.3

(883)

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

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

4.5

(1,615)

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

8. How To Read Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams Made Easy

4.5

(471)

All you'll ever need to easily Read P & IDs in one Clear and Concise Course for Plant Operators, Maintenance & Engineers...

9. Complete Course on Piping Valves for Your Career Success

4.3

(412)

Learn about 18 types of valves used in Oil & Gas Piping, including their Standards, Manufacturing, Inspection & Testing...

10. The Complete Course on Piping Components for Oil & Gas Career

4.5

(939)

Learn about Pipe,Fittings,Olets,Gaskets, Flanges,Bolting materials,Valve,orifice flanges,Spectacle Blind,steam traps etc...

11. 3D Modeling Piped Systems in AutoCAD

4.2

(967)

From absolute ZERO all the way to creating sophisticated, 3D models and professional drawing packages in Auto CAD...

12. Complete Field Instrumentation Engineering Course

4.3

(259)

Flow, Level, Temperature and Pressure Instrument - Selection, Sizing, Calculation and Detail Engineering...

13. Valves: Principles , Operation & Designs

4.5

(658)

A complete understanding of construction details & functioning of valves for successful operation of your piping system...

14. How to Read P & ID, PFD & BFD used in Process Plant like Pro

4.5

(744)

Learn How to Read Piping and Instrument Diagram-P & ID, Process Flow Diagram and Block Flow Diagram used in Process Plant...

15. Basics of Sheet metal design for Mechanical design engineers

4.3

(793)

Learn Sheet metal design, processes and practical design considerations along with Design projects...

16. Basics of Material selection for mechanical design engineers

4.4

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Learn about the fundamentals of materials and their selection for mechanical engineering design for design engineers...

17. An Introduction to Machine Learning for Data Engineers

4.4

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A Prerequisite for Tensorflow on Google's Cloud Platform for Data Engineers...

18. Diesel Engine Fundamentals (Mechanical Engineering)

4.6

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Learn about the diesel engine! Ideal for Automotive Engineering and Automobile Engineering!...

19. Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional -Preparation

4.6

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Preparation course for Databricks Data Engineer Professional certification exam with hands-on training...

20. HVAC (PART2) with Revit MEP & Practical Projects

4.1

(398)

your Practical Guide in the Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning with Programs & Layouts (A Complete Project Included)...

Top 10 most affordable universities for piping engineers

The most affordable schools for piping engineers are Brigham Young University, inter american university of puerto rico arecibo, and inter american university of puerto rico bayamon.

If the best universities for piping 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 piping engineers.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

6. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German

San German, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

14,322

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Cost of attendance

28,501

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for piping engineers

The hardest universities for piping engineers to get into are California Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for piping 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 piping 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. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for piping engineers

The easiest schools for piping engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, saint martin's university, and cleveland state university.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

3. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

4. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

5. University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,050

6. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

7. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

8. Alcorn State University

Alcorn State, MS • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,026

9. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

10. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

Average piping engineer salary by education level

Piping engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $133,547 annually. With a Master's degree, piping engineers earn a median annual income of $122,023 compared to $106,187 for piping engineers with an Bachelor's degree.

Piping engineer education level	Piping engineer salary
Master's Degree	$122,023
Bachelor's Degree	$106,187
Doctorate Degree	$133,547

Piping engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Piping Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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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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