Project inspector education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a project inspector. Project inspectors usually study civil engineering, business, or electrical engineering. 69% of project inspectors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,065 real project inspector resumes to see exactly what project inspector education sections show.

The most common colleges for project inspectors are the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus and the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus.

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

There are certain project inspector certifications that you should consider. These project inspector certifications include Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and Aboveground Storage Tanks Inspector Certification (API).

What education do you need to become a project inspector?

What degree do you need to be a project inspector?

The most common degree for project inspectors is bachelor's degree, with 69% of project inspectors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 69%

Associate, 13%

Master's, 8%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a project inspector?

You should major in civil engineering to become a project inspector. 45% of project inspectors major in civil engineering. Other common majors for a project inspector include business and electrical engineering.

Civil Engineering, 45%

Business, 10%

Electrical Engineering, 7%

Mechanical Engineering, 6%

Other Majors, 32%

Most common colleges for project inspectors

Project inspectors often get their degrees at University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus, University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Here are the most common colleges for project inspectors in the US based on their resumes.

Project inspector common college	Percentages
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus	20.99%
University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez	7.41%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale	4.94%
Pennsylvania State University	4.94%
Caribbean University	4.94%

Show more common project inspector colleges

Best majors for project inspectors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Civil Engineering	45.1%
2	Business	10.2%
3	Electrical Engineering	6.7%
4	Mechanical Engineering	6.0%
5	Construction Management	5.2%

Show more common project inspector majors

Best colleges for project inspectors

The best colleges for project inspectors are Johns Hopkins University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A project inspector 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 inspectors. 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 inspectors.

1. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$15,887

Enrollment

23,202

5. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

9. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

10. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

20 best online courses for project inspectors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for project inspectors

The most affordable schools for project inspectors are University of Florida, florida state university, and florida atlantic university.

If the best universities for project inspectors 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 inspectors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

3. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

4. 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

5. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for project inspectors

The hardest universities for project inspectors to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Some great schools for project inspectors 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 inspectors 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

6. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

9. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for project inspectors

The easiest schools for project inspectors to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, portland state university, and saint martin's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a project inspector 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 inspectors.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

3. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

4. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

5. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

6. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

7. California State University - Chico

Chico, CA • Private

Admissions rate

65%

SAT average

1,092

8. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,132

9. University of Wyoming

Laramie, WY • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,202

10. Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, TX • Private

Admissions rate

74%

SAT average

980

Average project inspector salary by education level

According to our data, project inspectors with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $72,619 annually. Project inspectors with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $69,425.

Project inspector education level	Project inspector salary
High School Diploma or Less	$67,408
Bachelor's Degree	$72,619
Some College/ Associate Degree	$69,425

Project inspector education FAQs

What is the best college for Project Inspectors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common construction and extraction 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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