Quantity surveyor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a quantity surveyor. Quantity surveyors usually study civil engineering, surveying, mapping, and hydraulic technologies, or construction management. 68% of quantity surveyors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an diploma. We analyzed 1,090 real quantity surveyor resumes to see exactly what quantity surveyor education sections show.

The most common colleges for quantity surveyors are the National University and the National University.

There are also many online quantity surveyor courses to help get the education required to be a quantity surveyor.

There are certain quantity surveyor certifications that you should consider. These quantity surveyor certifications include Certified Survey Technician (CST) and Certified Construction Manager (CCM).

What education do you need to become a quantity surveyor?

What degree do you need to be a quantity surveyor?

The most common degree for quantity surveyors is bachelor's degree, with 68% of quantity surveyors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are diploma degree at 15% and diploma degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 68%

Diploma, 15%

Master's, 7%

Associate, 6%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a quantity surveyor?

You should major in civil engineering to become a quantity surveyor. 44% of quantity surveyors major in civil engineering. Other common majors for a quantity surveyor include surveying, mapping, and hydraulic technologies and construction management.

Civil Engineering, 44%

Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies, 16%

Construction Management, 7%

Engineering, 5%

Other Majors, 28%

Most common colleges for quantity surveyors

Quantity surveyors often get their degrees at National University, Saint Louis University, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for quantity surveyors in the US based on their resumes.

Quantity surveyor common college	Percentages
National University	14.29%
Saint Louis University	9.52%
New York University	7.14%
Texas A&M University	7.14%
Washington State University	4.76%

Show more common quantity surveyor colleges

Best majors for quantity surveyors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Civil Engineering	44.3%
2	Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies	15.6%
3	Construction Management	6.5%
4	Engineering	4.7%
5	Mechanical Engineering	4.4%

Show more common quantity surveyor majors

Best colleges for quantity surveyors

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

A quantity surveyor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for quantity surveyors. 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 quantity surveyors.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

4. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

9. New Jersey Institute of Technology

Newark, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$17,338

Enrollment

7,820

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

20 best online courses for quantity surveyors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for quantity surveyors

The most affordable schools for quantity surveyors are University of Florida, florida atlantic university, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.

If the best universities for quantity surveyors 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 quantity surveyors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

3. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

6. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

9. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

10. 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

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for quantity surveyors

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

Some great schools for quantity surveyors 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 quantity surveyors 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. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for quantity surveyors

The easiest schools for quantity surveyors to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, alabama a & m university, and portland state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a quantity surveyor 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 quantity surveyors.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

3. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

4. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

5. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

6. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

7. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

8. University of Wyoming

Laramie, WY • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,202

9. Pennsylvania State University - Wilkes-Barre

Lehman, PA • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,075

10. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

Average quantity surveyor salary by education level

Quantity surveyor education level	Quantity surveyor salary
Bachelor's Degree	$73,188

Quantity surveyor education FAQs

What is the best college for Quantity Surveyors?

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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