Production cost estimator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a production cost estimator. Production cost estimators usually study business, accounting, or computer science. 46% of production cost estimators hold a bachelor's degree, and 32% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 107 real production cost estimator resumes to see exactly what production cost estimator education sections show.

The most common colleges for production cost estimators are the Fairleigh Dickinson University and the Fairleigh Dickinson University.

There are also many online production cost estimator courses to help get the education required to be a production cost estimator.

What education do you need to become a production cost estimator?

What degree do you need to be a production cost estimator?

The most common degree for production cost estimators is bachelor's degree, with 46% of production cost estimators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 32% and associate degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 46%

Associate, 32%

High School Diploma, 12%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a production cost estimator?

You should major in business to become a production cost estimator. 28% of production cost estimators major in business. Other common majors for a production cost estimator include accounting and computer science.

Business, 28%

Accounting, 9%

Computer Science, 7%

Health Care Administration, 5%

Other Majors, 51%

Most common colleges for production cost estimators

Production cost estimators often get their degrees at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Miracosta College. Here are the most common colleges for production cost estimators in the US based on their resumes.

Production cost estimator common college	Percentages
Fairleigh Dickinson University	9.09%
Rochester Institute of Technology	9.09%
Miracosta College	4.55%
SUNY at Buffalo	4.55%
University of North Texas	4.55%

Show more common production cost estimator colleges

Best majors for production cost estimators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	27.9%
2	Accounting	9.3%
3	Computer Science	7.0%
4	Health Care Administration	4.7%
5	Entertainment Business	4.7%

Show more common production cost estimator majors

Best colleges for production cost estimators

The best colleges for production cost estimators are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A production cost estimator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for production cost estimators. 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 production cost estimators.

1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

20 best online courses for production cost estimators

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1. Basics of Cost Accounting: Product Costing

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2. Cost Accounting

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3. Cost Reduction: Cut Costs and Maximise Profits

4.8

(656)

Cost cutting & cost reduction for a profit focused business...

4. SAP CO - Product Costing S4HANA

4.4

(250)

End-to-End concepts and configurations of SAP S4HANA CO - Product Costing...

5. Cost Accounting: Decision Making

In the third course, you will learn how to use information from cost accounting to improve managerial decision-making. We discuss business decisions and suggest how cost information can support them best. For example, how will costs change if managers adjust cost drivers? How many units do companies need to sell in order to avoid losses or to achieve a targeted profit? How can managers improve pricing or product programs with information from cost accounting?...

6. Projects Cost Management, Estimating, Budgeting and Control.

4.1

(1,381)

Learn how to estimate costs for any project, how to determine budget and how to use Earned Value Management tools. 3 PDU...

7. Learn Estimating & Cost Control

(345)

Develop a good practical understanding of best practice estimating and cost control on building & construction Projects...

8. Construction Cost Estimating and Management

4.6

(642)

Learn the tools used by construction management professionals to ensure their projects finish under budget...

9. Cost Accounting: Introduction to Management Accounting

4.6

(1,071)

Learn Cost Accounting for Management. Includes Process Costing, ABC Systems, Variance Analysis, Cash Budgets and more...

10. Cost Accounting and Financial Management - A Complete Study

4.8

(268)

Learn theory and practical concepts in Cost Accounting and Financial Management with loads of video lectures...

11. Managerial and Cost Accounting: A Comprehensive Guide

4.6

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Unlock Financial Insights, Make Informed Decisions: Optimize Business Performance, Maximize Profitability...

12. AWS Cost Management Tools (Cost Explorer) Crash Course

4.6

(459)

Learn everything about AWS Cost Explorer, Cloud Financial Management and Reserved Instance/Savings Plan...

13. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation BBS with Excel & CAD

4.4

(1,052)

Quantity Surveying, Construction Estimation ,Quantity survey ,Cost Estimation ,Civil engineering, Building Estimation...

14. Cost Accounting - A Comprehensive Study for CA/CMA/CS /ACCA/

4.7

(363)

Learn basic to advanced concepts in Cost Accounting comprehensively...

15. Managerial (Cost) Accounting For Beginners

4.4

(1,732)

Management accounting for managers and students. Learn managerial and cost accounting. #1 accounting course online...

16. Project Management: Cost & Schedule Monitoring using EVM

4.3

(1,114)

Earned Value Management, Project Management, Cost Control & Monitor, Budget, Schedule & Cost Variance, Performance Index...

17. Quantity Surveying Templates for Effective Cost Management

4.5

(345)

Quantity Surveying, Payment Application, Payment Tracker, Variation, Claim, Material Claim, Guarantees, Price Comparison...

18. Cost of Quality Analysis and Reporting using Microsoft Excel

4.4

(533)

Expertly collect, analyze and present quality cost data (using Microsoft Excel) to help drive continual improvement...

19. SAP Production Planning (PP) Module Online Practical Class

4.5

(2,224)

Production Planning and Control with SAP ERP...

20. Financial Accounting - Inventory Costs

4.3

(254)

Mastering Inventory Costs & Flows: An In-Depth Guide to Accounting for Inventory in Business Operations...

Top 10 most affordable universities for production cost estimators

The most affordable schools for production cost estimators are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for production cost estimators 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 production cost estimators.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for production cost estimators

The hardest universities for production cost estimators to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for production cost estimators 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 production cost estimators 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for production cost estimators

The easiest schools for production cost estimators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, pennsylvania state university - fayette (the eberly campus), and pennsylvania state university - worthington scranton.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a production cost estimator 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 production cost estimators.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

3. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

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. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

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. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average production cost estimator salary by education level

Production cost estimators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $53,820 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, production cost estimators earn a median annual income of $50,074 compared to $46,975 for production cost estimators with an Associate degree.

Production cost estimator education level	Production cost estimator salary
Master's Degree	$53,820
High School Diploma or Less	$45,691
Bachelor's Degree	$50,074
Some College/ Associate Degree	$46,975

Production cost estimator education FAQs

What is the best college for Production Cost Estimators?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial 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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