Project controls specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a project controls specialist. Project controls specialists usually study business, accounting, or construction management. 67% of project controls specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,324 real project controls specialist resumes to see exactly what project controls specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for project controls specialists are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.

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

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

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

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

The most common degree for project controls specialists is bachelor's degree, with 67% of project controls specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 67%

Master's, 15%

Associate, 13%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

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

You should major in business to become a project controls specialist. 31% of project controls specialists major in business. Other common majors for a project controls specialist include accounting and construction management.

Business, 31%

Accounting, 10%

Construction Management, 7%

Civil Engineering, 6%

Other Majors, 46%

Most common colleges for project controls specialists

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

Project controls specialist common college	Percentages
University of Houston	13.33%
University of Phoenix	12.16%
Texas A&M University	10.59%
George Mason University	6.27%
Clemson University	6.27%

Show more common project controls specialist colleges

Best majors for project controls specialists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	31.5%
2	Accounting	10.3%
3	Construction Management	7.3%
4	Civil Engineering	5.9%
5	Finance	5.1%

Show more common project controls specialist majors

Best colleges for project controls specialists

The best colleges for project controls specialists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A project controls specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.

1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

7. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for project controls specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for project controls specialists

The most affordable schools for project controls specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for project controls specialists 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 specialists.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for project controls specialists

The hardest universities for project controls specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for project controls specialists 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 specialists 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,339

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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

The easiest schools for project controls specialists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and university of north texas at dallas.

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

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

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

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

Average project controls specialist salary by education level

Project controls specialists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $97,374 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, project controls specialists earn a median annual income of $92,313 compared to $90,648 for project controls specialists with an Doctorate degree.

Project controls specialist education level	Project controls specialist salary
Master's Degree	$97,374
High School Diploma or Less	$79,211
Bachelor's Degree	$92,313
Doctorate Degree	$90,648
Some College/ Associate Degree	$82,120

Project controls specialist education FAQs

What is the best college for Project Controls Specialists?

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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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