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Plant superintendent education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a plant superintendent. Plant superintendents usually study business, management, or mechanical engineering. 64% of plant superintendents hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,711 real plant superintendent resumes to see exactly what plant superintendent education sections show.
The most common colleges for plant superintendents are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online plant superintendent courses to help get the education required to be a plant superintendent.
There are certain plant superintendent certifications that you should consider. These plant superintendent certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Incident Safety Officer - Fire Suppression Certification (ISO).
What education do you need to become a plant superintendent?
What degree do you need to be a plant superintendent?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 7%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a plant superintendent?
- Business, 39%
- Management, 7%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for plant superintendents
| Plant superintendent common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 12.12% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 8.66% |
| Purdue University | 8.23% |
| Ohio State University | 6.49% |
| Auburn University Main Campus | 6.06% |
Best majors for plant superintendents
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 38.9% |
| 2 | Management | 7.0% |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineering | 6.8% |
| 4 | Industrial Technology | 5.0% |
| 5 | Industrial Engineering | 4.3% |
Best colleges for plant superintendents
The best colleges for plant superintendents are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
A plant superintendent with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for plant superintendents. 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 plant superintendents.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
7. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,620
Enrollment
27,730
8. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
20 best online courses for plant superintendents
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Top 10 most affordable universities for plant superintendents
The most affordable schools for plant superintendents are University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez, suny farmingdale, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for plant superintendents 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 plant superintendents.
1. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
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 plant superintendents
The hardest universities for plant superintendents to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for plant superintendents 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 plant superintendents 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
10. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for plant superintendents
The easiest schools for plant superintendents to get into are D'Youville College, university of the incarnate word, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a plant superintendent 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 plant superintendents.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
8. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
9. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average plant superintendent salary by education level
| Plant superintendent education level | Plant superintendent salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $120,001 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $85,423 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $104,837 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $91,704 |
Plant superintendent education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025