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Research hydrologist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a research hydrologist. Research hydrologists usually study civil engineering, geology, or mathematics. 50% of research hydrologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 16 real research hydrologist resumes to see exactly what research hydrologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for research hydrologists are the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

There are also many online research hydrologist courses to help get the education required to be a research hydrologist.

What education do you need to become a research hydrologist?

What degree do you need to be a research hydrologist?

The most common degree for research hydrologists is bachelor's degree, with 50% of research hydrologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 25% and doctoral degree degree at 25%.
  • Bachelor's, 50%
  • Doctorate, 25%
  • Master's, 25%

What should I major in to become a research hydrologist?

You should major in civil engineering to become a research hydrologist. 20% of research hydrologists major in civil engineering. Other common majors for a research hydrologist include geology and mathematics.

Most common colleges for research hydrologists

Research hydrologists often get their degrees at University of North Carolina at Wilmington, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus, and Hunter College of the City University of New York. Here are the most common colleges for research hydrologists in the US based on their resumes.
Research hydrologist common collegePercentages
University of North Carolina at Wilmington10.00%
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus10.00%
Hunter College of the City University of New York10.00%
Fort Valley State University10.00%
University of Idaho10.00%

Best majors for research hydrologists

RankMajorPercentages
1Civil Engineering20.0%
2Geology13.3%
3Mathematics13.3%
4Statistics6.7%
5Management Science6.7%

Best colleges for research hydrologists

The best colleges for research hydrologists are Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

4. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for research hydrologists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for research hydrologists

The most affordable schools for research hydrologists are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for research hydrologists 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 research hydrologists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for research hydrologists

The hardest universities for research hydrologists to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Some great schools for research hydrologists 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 research hydrologists 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for research hydrologists

The easiest schools for research hydrologists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and university of houston - downtown.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a research hydrologist 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 research hydrologists.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

4. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

5. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

6. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

7. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

8. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

9. Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Indiana, PA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,019

10. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

Average research hydrologist salary by education level

Research hydrologists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $101,585 annually. With a Master's degree, research hydrologists earn a median annual income of $93,565 compared to $83,835 for research hydrologists with an Bachelor's degree.
Research hydrologist education levelResearch hydrologist salary
Master's Degree$93,565
Bachelor's Degree$83,835
Doctorate Degree$101,585

Research hydrologist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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