Project superintendent education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a project superintendent. Project superintendents usually study business, construction management, or civil engineering. 50% of project superintendents hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 12,849 real project superintendent resumes to see exactly what project superintendent education sections show.

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

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

There are certain project superintendent certifications that you should consider. These project superintendent certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Construction Manager (CCM).

What education do you need to become a project superintendent?

What degree do you need to be a project superintendent?

The most common degree for project superintendents is bachelor's degree, with 50% of project superintendents earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 23% and associate degree degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 50%

Associate, 23%

High School Diploma, 14%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a project superintendent?

You should major in business to become a project superintendent. 22% of project superintendents major in business. Other common majors for a project superintendent include construction management and civil engineering.

Business, 22%

Construction Management, 19%

Civil Engineering, 12%

Management, 4%

Other Majors, 43%

Most common colleges for project superintendents

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

Project superintendent common college	Percentages
Texas A&M University	9.64%
Purdue University	9.38%
University of Phoenix	6.77%
Wentworth Institute of Technology	6.51%
Ohio State University	6.51%

Show more common project superintendent colleges

Best majors for project superintendents

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	21.7%
2	Construction Management	19.2%
3	Civil Engineering	11.6%
4	Management	4.2%
5	Engineering	3.9%

Show more common project superintendent majors

Best colleges for project superintendents

The best colleges for project superintendents are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Southern California.

A project superintendent 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 superintendents. 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 superintendents.

1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

2. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

3. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$11,788

Enrollment

11,008

9. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

10. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

20 best online courses for project superintendents

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5. Construction Procurement Management

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A course on procurement designed for engineers new to the infrastructure/construction industry...

6. Practical Project Management for Management Consultants

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How to manage successfully a consulting project - a practical guide for Project Managers...

7. Project Management Essentials

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A crash course in the essentials of project management for new project managers...

8. Project Management Office (PMO) for Management Consultants

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Project Management for NEW Project Managers - knowledge, tools, techniques, skills, checklists, guidelines, pitfalls...

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MS PROJECT 2016 ADVANCED Project Management Techniques -incl Enterprise level. HANDS-ON from #1 BESTSELLING INSTRUCTOR...

19. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)

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Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...

20. Mastering Agile Scrum Project Management

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

Top 10 most affordable universities for project superintendents

The most affordable schools for project superintendents are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for project superintendents 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 superintendents.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for project superintendents

The hardest universities for project superintendents to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for project superintendents 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 superintendents 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

10. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,339

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

The easiest schools for project superintendents to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, university of north texas at dallas, and pennsylvania state university - worthington scranton.

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

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

3. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

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. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

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

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

9. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

Average project superintendent salary by education level

Project superintendents with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $110,193 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, project superintendents earn a median annual income of $104,959 compared to $103,232 for project superintendents with an Doctorate degree.

Project superintendent education level	Project superintendent salary
Master's Degree	$110,193
High School Diploma or Less	$91,287
Bachelor's Degree	$104,959
Doctorate Degree	$103,232
Some College/ Associate Degree	$94,339

Project superintendent education FAQs

What is the best college for Project Superintendents?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management 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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