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Plumbing designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a plumbing designer. Plumbing designers usually study drafting and design, mechanical engineering, or mechanical engineering technology. 42% of plumbing designers hold a associate degree, and 39% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 561 real plumbing designer resumes to see exactly what plumbing designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for plumbing designers are the Wentworth Institute of Technology and the Wentworth Institute of Technology.

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

What education do you need to become a plumbing designer?

What degree do you need to be a plumbing designer?

The most common degree for plumbing designers is associate degree, with 42% of plumbing designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 39% and bachelor's degree degree at 6%.
  • Associate, 42%
  • Bachelor's, 39%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a plumbing designer?

You should major in drafting and design to become a plumbing designer. 30% of plumbing designers major in drafting and design. Other common majors for a plumbing designer include mechanical engineering and mechanical engineering technology.

Most common colleges for plumbing designers

Plumbing designers often get their degrees at Wentworth Institute of Technology, University of Houston, and Temple University. Here are the most common colleges for plumbing designers in the US based on their resumes.
Plumbing designer common collegePercentages
Wentworth Institute of Technology10.64%
University of Houston8.51%
Temple University6.38%
Drexel University6.38%
Northeastern University6.38%

Best majors for plumbing designers

Best colleges for plumbing designers

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

A plumbing 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 plumbing 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 plumbing 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 plumbing designers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for plumbing designers

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

If the best universities for plumbing 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 plumbing 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 plumbing designers

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

Some great schools for plumbing 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 plumbing 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 plumbing designers

The easiest schools for plumbing 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 plumbing 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 plumbing 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 plumbing designer salary by education level

Plumbing designers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $75,431 annually. With a Master's degree, plumbing designers earn a median annual income of $69,291 compared to $60,797 for plumbing designers with an Bachelor's degree.
Plumbing designer education levelPlumbing designer salary
Master's Degree$69,291
Bachelor's Degree$60,797
Doctorate Degree$75,431

Plumbing 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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