Plans examiner education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a plans examiner. Plans examiners usually study architecture, business, or property management. 52% of plans examiners hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 363 real plans examiner resumes to see exactly what plans examiner education sections show.

The most common colleges for plans examiners are the Southern University and A & M College and the Southern University and A & M College.

There are also many online plans examiner courses to help get the education required to be a plans examiner.

There are certain plans examiner certifications that you should consider. These plans examiner certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Construction Manager (CCM).

What education do you need to become a plans examiner?

What degree do you need to be a plans examiner?

The most common degree for plans examiners is bachelor's degree, with 52% of plans examiners earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 31% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 52%

Associate, 31%

Master's, 9%

Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a plans examiner?

You should major in architecture to become a plans examiner. 21% of plans examiners major in architecture. Other common majors for a plans examiner include business and property management.

Architecture, 21%

Business, 14%

Property Management, 7%

Civil Engineering, 6%

Other Majors, 52%

Most common colleges for plans examiners

Plans examiners often get their degrees at Southern University and A & M College, University of North Texas, and Tulane University. Here are the most common colleges for plans examiners in the US based on their resumes.

Plans examiner common college	Percentages
Southern University and A & M College	8.00%
University of North Texas	8.00%
Tulane University	6.00%
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler	6.00%
University of Miami	6.00%

Show more common plans examiner colleges

Best majors for plans examiners

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Architecture	20.5%
2	Business	14.1%
3	Property Management	7.1%
4	Civil Engineering	6.4%
5	Drafting And Design	5.8%

Show more common plans examiner majors

Best colleges for plans examiners

The best colleges for plans examiners are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A plans examiner with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for plans examiners. 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 plans examiners.

1. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

8. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

9. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

20 best online courses for plans examiners

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Top 10 most affordable universities for plans examiners

The most affordable schools for plans examiners are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and city college of new york of the city university of new york, the.

If the best universities for plans examiners 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 plans examiners.

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. 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

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for plans examiners

The hardest universities for plans examiners to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for plans examiners 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 plans examiners 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for plans examiners

The easiest schools for plans examiners 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 a plans examiner 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 plans examiners.

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. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

Average plans examiner salary by education level

Plans examiners with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $62,245 annually. With a Associate degree, plans examiners earn a median annual income of $60,471 compared to $59,335 for plans examiners with an High School Diploma degree.

Plans examiner education level	Plans examiner salary
High School Diploma or Less	$59,335
Bachelor's Degree	$62,245
Some College/ Associate Degree	$60,471

Plans examiner education FAQs

What is the best college for Plans Examiners?

Have more questions? See all answers to common construction and extraction 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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