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Senior cost engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior cost engineer. Senior cost engineers usually study business, civil engineering, or mechanical engineering. 72% of senior cost engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 475 real senior cost engineer resumes to see exactly what senior cost engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior cost engineers are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.
There are also many online senior cost engineer courses to help get the education required to be a senior cost engineer.
There are certain senior cost engineer certifications that you should consider. These senior cost engineer certifications include Certified Cost Professional (CCP) and Certified Construction Manager (CCM).
What education do you need to become a senior cost engineer?
What degree do you need to be a senior cost engineer?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 9%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a senior cost engineer?
- Business, 24%
- Civil Engineering, 16%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for senior cost engineers
| Senior cost engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Houston | 8.62% |
| Georgia State University | 6.90% |
| Purdue University | 6.90% |
| Colorado State University | 6.90% |
| Washington State University | 5.17% |
Best majors for senior cost engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 24.4% |
| 2 | Civil Engineering | 16.4% |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineering | 8.4% |
| 4 | Construction Management | 6.7% |
| 5 | Industrial Engineering | 6.3% |
Best colleges for senior cost engineers
The best colleges for senior cost engineers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A senior cost 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 senior cost 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 senior cost engineers.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
In-state tuition
$15,374
Enrollment
19,564
7. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,530
Enrollment
4,571
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
20 best online courses for senior cost engineers
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Earned Value Management, Project Management, Cost Control & Monitor, Budget, Schedule & Cost Variance, Performance Index...
7. Learn Estimating & Cost Control
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8. Construction Cost Estimating and Management
Learn the tools used by construction management professionals to ensure their projects finish under budget...
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10. Cost Accounting and Financial Management - A Complete Study
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13. Managerial (Cost) Accounting For Beginners
Management accounting for managers and students. Learn managerial and cost accounting. #1 accounting course online...
14. AWS Cost Management Tools (Cost Explorer) Crash Course
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15. Cost Accounting - A Comprehensive Study for CA/CMA/CS /ACCA/
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16. Advanced Planning Baseline Schedule with Primavera P6 &Excel
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17. Cost Reduction for Managers & Management Consultants
A practical guide on how to cut costs in business & private life. Learn how efficiently to conduct cost-cutting projects...
18. Flexible Budgets, Standard Costs, & Variance Analysis
Maximizing Financial Insight: Mastering Variance Analysis and Budgeting for Strategic Decision-Making...
19. Project Management - Complete Guide For A+ Project Managers
Complete guide to project management - stakeholders, planning, cost, quality, risks, feasibility, methods & resourcing...
20. Cost of Quality Analysis and Reporting using Microsoft Excel
Expertly collect, analyze and present quality cost data (using Microsoft Excel) to help drive continual improvement...
Top 10 most affordable universities for senior cost engineers
The most affordable schools for senior cost engineers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for senior cost 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 senior cost engineers.
1. United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$1,080
Cost of attendance
6,646
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior cost engineers
The hardest universities for senior cost engineers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for senior cost 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 senior cost 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior cost engineers
The easiest schools for senior cost engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior cost 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 senior cost engineers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
8. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
9. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
10. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
Average senior cost engineer salary by education level
| Senior cost engineer education level | Senior cost engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $102,899 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $89,730 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $73,099 |
Senior cost engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025