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Resident engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a resident engineer. Resident engineers usually study civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering. 73% of resident engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,623 real resident engineer resumes to see exactly what resident engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for resident engineers are the Lawrence Technological University and the Lawrence Technological University.

There are also many online resident engineer courses to help get the education required to be a resident engineer.

There are certain resident engineer certifications that you should consider. These resident engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Certified Construction Manager (CCM).

What education do you need to become a resident engineer?

What degree do you need to be a resident engineer?

The most common degree for resident engineers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of resident engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Master's, 13%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a resident engineer?

You should major in civil engineering to become a resident engineer. 43% of resident engineers major in civil engineering. Other common majors for a resident engineer include mechanical engineering and electrical engineering.

Most common colleges for resident engineers

Resident engineers often get their degrees at Lawrence Technological University, Purdue University, and New Jersey Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for resident engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Resident engineer common collegePercentages
Lawrence Technological University7.43%
Purdue University6.69%
New Jersey Institute of Technology6.69%
Pennsylvania State University6.32%
Manhattan College5.95%

Best majors for resident engineers

Best colleges for resident engineers

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

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

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

3. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

7. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

9. Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$9,080

Enrollment

30,795

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 resident engineers

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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. Construction Project Scheduling

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Learn the tools and techniques used by construction management professionals to ensure projects finish on time...

7. Construction Claims Management - (9 PDUs)

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8. Construction Methodology Basics in Civil Engineering

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17. Complete Contract Management Bootcamp: Zero to Hero

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19. Introduction to Contract Management

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Understand what is involved in the contract management process and put this knowledge to work with confidence...

20. Railway Systems Engineering (Equivalent to Micro MSc )

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Top 10 most affordable universities for resident engineers

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

If the best universities for resident engineers 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 resident engineers.

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. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,310

Cost of attendance

19,807

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. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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 resident engineers

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

Some great schools for resident engineers 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 resident engineers 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

7%

SAT average

1,545

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

10. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for resident engineers

The easiest schools for resident engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, washington state university, and alabama a & m university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a resident engineer 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 resident engineers.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

3. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

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. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

7. North Dakota State University

Fargo, ND • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,170

8. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

9. Lamar University

Beaumont, TX • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,043

10. The University of Texas at Arlington

Arlington, TX • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,157

Average resident engineer salary by education level

According to our data, resident engineers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $105,167 annually. Resident engineers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $104,434.
Resident engineer education levelResident engineer salary
Master's Degree$105,167
Bachelor's Degree$95,091
Doctorate Degree$104,434

Resident engineer 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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