Project estimator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a project estimator. Project estimators usually study business, construction management, or civil engineering. 62% of project estimators hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,259 real project estimator resumes to see exactly what project estimator education sections show.

The most common colleges for project estimators are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

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

There are certain project estimator certifications that you should consider. These project estimator certifications include Certified Agile Developer (CAD) and Certified Construction Manager (CCM).

What education do you need to become a project estimator?

What degree do you need to be a project estimator?

The most common degree for project estimators is bachelor's degree, with 62% of project estimators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 62%

Associate, 21%

Master's, 7%

High School Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a project estimator?

You should major in business to become a project estimator. 24% of project estimators major in business. Other common majors for a project estimator include construction management and civil engineering.

Business, 24%

Construction Management, 13%

Civil Engineering, 11%

Mechanical Engineering, 8%

Other Majors, 44%

Most common colleges for project estimators

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

Project estimator common college	Percentages
Pennsylvania State University	10.37%
Texas A&M University	9.15%
University of Houston	7.93%
University of Phoenix	7.32%
Purdue University	6.10%

Show more common project estimator colleges

Best majors for project estimators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	24.0%
2	Construction Management	13.1%
3	Civil Engineering	11.1%
4	Mechanical Engineering	7.9%
5	Drafting And Design	6.0%

Show more common project estimator majors

Best colleges for project estimators

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

A project 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 project 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 project estimators.

1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

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. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

20 best online courses for project estimators

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1. Project Scheduling: Estimate Activity Durations

In this guided project you will learn how estimate the durations of your project activities. You will estimate the duration of your project activities, using techniques such as Expert Judgment, Analogy, and Parametric Estimation. Once you have developed a WBS (see Guided Project: Creating a WBS, for how to create one), and decompose the work packages (lowest elements in the WBS) into the necessary activities (See Guided Project: Creating a Project Network Diagram), you can use the bottom up...

2. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation BBS with Excel & CAD

4.4

(1,052)

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

3. 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...

4. Construction Cost Estimating and Management

4.6

(642)

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

5. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation,Cad Excel & Planswift

4.4

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Quantity Surveying, Quantity Takeoff, BBS In Excel ,Complete Project In Autocad, Project Planning With Primavera P6...

6. HVAC Ductwork Quantity Take off for Quantity Surveyors

4.4

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HVAC, Duct, Take off, Estimation, Quantity Surveying, Length, Area, Weight, SMACNA, POMI, AUTOCAD, Excel, Template, MEP...

7. Learn Estimating & Cost Control

(345)

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

8. Project Management: Cost & Schedule Monitoring using EVM

4.3

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

9. Construction Project Scheduling

4.5

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

10. IT Project Budget & Cost Management

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

11. Quantity Surveying With Rate Analysis And Take Off-Beginners

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Quantity Surveying, Quantity Takeoff, Estimation, Rate Analysis, Blubeam Revu, Planswift, Costing, Construction Drawings...

12. Mastering Construction/Project Management

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Mastering Construction-Project Management in less than 10 Hours...

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

4.6

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Complete guide to project management - stakeholders, planning, cost, quality, risks, feasibility, methods & resourcing...

14. Learn Xactimate in less than 4 hours

4.3

(582)

Introduction to Xactimate - Cost Estimation Software for Construction Project...

15. Project Management Fundamentals - The Art of Scheduling

4.3

(1,807)

Learn How To Schedule Like A Pro From A Pro...

16. Quantity Surveying Templates for Effective Cost Management

4.5

(345)

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

17. Project Management With MS Project - Scheduling Master Class

4.5

(4,297)

Managing projects with Microsoft Project? Learn project management, planning, scheduling, and tracking best practices...

18. Mastering Agile Scrum Project Management

4.5

(5,170)

Review and master agile development & scrum methodologies for your career...

19. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery

4.5

(82,218)

Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...

20. IT Project Management: Delivering successful IT projects

4.4

(960)

A toolkit to the capabilities and skills required to successfully manage and deliver high-impact IT projects...

Top 10 most affordable universities for project estimators

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

If the best universities for project 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 project 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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

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. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for project estimators

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

Some great schools for project 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 project 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

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 project estimators

The easiest schools for project 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 project 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 project 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 project estimator salary by education level

According to our data, project estimators with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $81,771 annually. Project estimators with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $75,881.

Project estimator education level	Project estimator salary
Master's Degree	$81,771
High School Diploma or Less	$69,011
Bachelor's Degree	$75,881
Some College/ Associate Degree	$71,022

Project estimator education FAQs

What is the best college for Project 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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