Registered land surveyor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a registered land surveyor. Registered land surveyors usually study civil engineering, drafting and design, or civil engineering technologies. 43% of registered land surveyors hold a bachelor's degree, and 38% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 61 real registered land surveyor resumes to see exactly what registered land surveyor education sections show.

The most common colleges for registered land surveyors are the Kansas State University and the Kansas State University.

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

What education do you need to become a registered land surveyor?

What degree do you need to be a registered land surveyor?

The most common degree for registered land surveyors is bachelor's degree, with 43% of registered land surveyors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 38% and associate degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 43%

Associate, 38%

High School Diploma, 5%

Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a registered land surveyor?

You should major in civil engineering to become a registered land surveyor. 29% of registered land surveyors major in civil engineering. Other common majors for a registered land surveyor include drafting and design and civil engineering technologies.

Civil Engineering, 29%

Drafting And Design, 10%

Civil Engineering Technologies, 6%

Computer Programming, 6%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for registered land surveyors

Registered land surveyors often get their degrees at Kansas State University, Santa Fe College, and University of Kentucky. Here are the most common colleges for registered land surveyors in the US based on their resumes.

Registered land surveyor common college	Percentages
Kansas State University	7.14%
Santa Fe College	7.14%
University of Kentucky	7.14%
Eastern Kentucky University	7.14%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	7.14%

Show more common registered land surveyor colleges

Best majors for registered land surveyors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Civil Engineering	29.0%
2	Drafting And Design	9.7%
3	Civil Engineering Technologies	6.5%
4	Computer Programming	6.5%
5	Geography	6.5%

Show more common registered land surveyor majors

Best colleges for registered land surveyors

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

A registered land 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 registered land 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 registered land surveyors.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

5. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Enrollment

11,139

6. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

8. University of Akron

Akron, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,463

Enrollment

13,676

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for registered land surveyors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for registered land surveyors

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

If the best universities for registered land 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 registered land surveyors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

3. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

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. 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

7. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for registered land surveyors

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

Some great schools for registered land 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 registered land 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

6. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for registered land surveyors

The easiest schools for registered land surveyors to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, south dakota state university, and ferris state university.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

3. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

4. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

5. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

6. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

7. University of Wyoming

Laramie, WY • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,202

8. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

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 registered land surveyor salary by education level

Registered land surveyor education level	Registered land surveyor salary
Bachelor's Degree	$48,336

Registered land surveyor education FAQs

What is the best college for Registered Land Surveyors?

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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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