Project controls engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a project controls engineer. Project controls engineers usually study business, civil engineering, or electrical engineering. 74% of project controls engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,555 real project controls engineer resumes to see exactly what project controls engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for project controls engineers are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.

There are also many online project controls engineer courses to help get the education required to be a project controls engineer.

There are certain project controls engineer certifications that you should consider. These project controls engineer certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Construction Manager (CCM).

What education do you need to become a project controls engineer?

What degree do you need to be a project controls engineer?

The most common degree for project controls engineers is bachelor's degree, with 74% of project controls engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 74%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 9%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a project controls engineer?

You should major in business to become a project controls engineer. 16% of project controls engineers major in business. Other common majors for a project controls engineer include civil engineering and electrical engineering.

Business, 16%

Civil Engineering, 16%

Electrical Engineering, 13%

Mechanical Engineering, 10%

Other Majors, 45%

Most common colleges for project controls engineers

Project controls engineers often get their degrees at Texas A&M; University, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for project controls engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Project controls engineer common college	Percentages
Texas A&M University	10.20%
Pennsylvania State University	8.98%
University of Phoenix	7.76%
Purdue University	7.76%
University of Houston	7.35%

Show more common project controls engineer colleges

Best majors for project controls engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	16.4%
2	Civil Engineering	15.8%
3	Electrical Engineering	13.5%
4	Mechanical Engineering	10.5%
5	Construction Management	6.8%

Show more common project controls engineer majors

Best colleges for project controls engineers

The best colleges for project controls engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A project controls engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for project controls engineers. 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 project controls engineers.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

10. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

20 best online courses for project controls engineers

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4. Learn Estimating & Cost Control

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

5. Project Management: Cost & Schedule Monitoring using EVM

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

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11. Construction Project Scheduling

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Learn the tools and techniques used by construction management professionals to ensure projects finish on time...

12. Control Systems: From Mathematical Modelling to PID Control

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16. Project Management - Complete Guide For A+ Project Managers

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Up and Running with Primavera P6...

18. Primavera P6 Complete Course of Project Planning 2022

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19. IT Project Budget & Cost Management

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Project Management tips to manage a million dollar IT Project budget from start to finish...

20. PLC & AC Drive with Automatic & Manual Industrial Control

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Top 10 most affordable universities for project controls engineers

The most affordable schools for project controls engineers are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for project controls engineers 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 project controls engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. 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

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for project controls engineers

The hardest universities for project controls engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for project controls engineers 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 project controls engineers 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for project controls engineers

The easiest schools for project controls engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, oregon institute of technology, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a project controls engineer 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 project controls engineers.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

8. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average project controls engineer salary by education level

According to our data, project controls engineers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $107,059 annually. Project controls engineers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $95,930.

Project controls engineer education level	Project controls engineer salary
Master's Degree	$95,930
Bachelor's Degree	$84,403
Doctorate Degree	$107,059

Project controls engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Project Controls Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering 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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