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Professional land surveyor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a professional land surveyor. Professional land surveyors usually study surveying, mapping, and hydraulic technologies, civil engineering, or natural resources management. 52% of professional land surveyors hold a bachelor's degree, and 32% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 381 real professional land surveyor resumes to see exactly what professional land surveyor education sections show.
The most common colleges for professional land surveyors are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online professional land surveyor courses to help get the education required to be a professional land surveyor.
There are certain professional land surveyor certifications that you should consider. These professional land surveyor certifications include Professional Legal Secretary (PLS) and Certified Survey Technician (CST).
What education do you need to become a professional land surveyor?
What degree do you need to be a professional land surveyor?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Associate, 32%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a professional land surveyor?
- Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies, 16%
- Civil Engineering, 13%
- Business, 10%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for professional land surveyors
| Professional land surveyor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 10.81% |
| University of Southern Maine | 8.11% |
| Ferris State University | 8.11% |
| University of Maine | 8.11% |
| University of Central Oklahoma | 5.41% |
Best majors for professional land surveyors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies | 15.9% |
| 2 | Civil Engineering | 13.0% |
| 3 | Natural Resources Management | 11.6% |
| 4 | Business | 10.1% |
| 5 | Civil Engineering Technologies | 8.0% |
Best colleges for professional land surveyors
The best colleges for professional land surveyors are Purdue University, Pennsylvania State University, and Michigan Technological University.
A professional land surveyor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for professional land surveyors. 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 professional land surveyors.
1. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
2. Pennsylvania State University - Wilkes-Barre
Lehman, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,586
Enrollment
401
3. Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$11,788
Enrollment
11,008
4. University of Maine
Orono, ME • Private
In-state tuition
$11,170
Enrollment
8,861
5. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$9,055
Enrollment
9,672
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
7. New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$17,338
Enrollment
7,820
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
9. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,646
Enrollment
5,736
10. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
20 best online courses for professional land surveyors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for professional land surveyors
The most affordable schools for professional land surveyors are University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez, florida atlantic university, and purdue university.
If the best universities for professional land surveyors 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 professional land surveyors.
1. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
2. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
3. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
4. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
In-state tuition
$7,666
Cost of attendance
21,702
7. University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,400
Cost of attendance
19,777
8. North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$6,612
Cost of attendance
17,639
9. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,265
Cost of attendance
19,401
10. Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$11,788
Cost of attendance
22,715
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for professional land surveyors
The hardest universities for professional land surveyors to get into are Purdue University, Pennsylvania State University, and Michigan Technological University.
Some great schools for professional land surveyors 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 professional land surveyors 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. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
2. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,269
3. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI • Private
Admissions rate
74%
SAT average
1,272
4. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
1,359
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,362
6. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
61%
SAT average
1,227
7. Pennsylvania State University - Wilkes-Barre
Lehman, PA • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,075
8. New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
64%
SAT average
1,287
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,159
10. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for professional land surveyors
The easiest schools for professional land surveyors to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, texas a&m; university - corpus christi, and ferris state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a professional land surveyor 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 professional land surveyors.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,068
3. Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,070
4. Pennsylvania State University - Wilkes-Barre
Lehman, PA • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,075
5. Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,016
6. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
7. University of Maine
Orono, ME • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,156
8. Troy University
Troy, AL • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,082
9. University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,202
10. Middle Georgia State University
Macon, GA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
980
Average professional land surveyor salary by education level
| Professional land surveyor education level | Professional land surveyor salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $48,071 |
Professional land surveyor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025