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Senior structural designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior structural designer. Senior structural designers usually study drafting and design, civil engineering, or architecture. 48% of senior structural designers hold a associate degree, and 36% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,656 real senior structural designer resumes to see exactly what senior structural designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior structural designers are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.
There are also many online senior structural designer courses to help get the education required to be a senior structural designer.
What education do you need to become a senior structural designer?
What degree do you need to be a senior structural designer?
- Associate, 48%
- Bachelor's, 36%
- Diploma, 5%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a senior structural designer?
- Drafting And Design, 34%
- Civil Engineering, 19%
- Architecture, 6%
- Engineering, 5%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for senior structural designers
| Senior structural designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Houston | 18.33% |
| Lamar University | 10.00% |
| Louisiana State University and A&M College | 6.67% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 5.00% |
| Pratt Institute | 5.00% |
Best majors for senior structural designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drafting And Design | 33.8% |
| 2 | Civil Engineering | 19.3% |
| 3 | Architecture | 5.6% |
| 4 | Engineering | 5.0% |
| 5 | Engineering Technology | 4.5% |
Best colleges for senior structural designers
The best colleges for senior structural designers are Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.
A senior structural designer 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 structural designers. 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 structural designers.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Rice University
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$47,350
Enrollment
3,962
7. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for senior structural designers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior structural designers
The most affordable schools for senior structural designers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for senior structural designers 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 structural designers.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior structural designers
The hardest universities for senior structural designers to get into are Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.
Some great schools for senior structural designers 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 structural designers 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Rice University
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
9. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior structural designers
The easiest schools for senior structural designers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and south dakota state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior structural designer 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 structural designers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
3. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
4. Wichita State University
Wichita, KS • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,152
5. Montana Technological University
Butte, MT • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,199
6. University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,113
7. Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,111
8. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
9. The Citadel
Charleston, SC • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,129
10. University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,050
Average senior structural designer salary by education level
| Senior structural designer education level | Senior structural designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $102,585 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $93,879 |
| Doctorate Degree | $107,883 |
Senior structural designer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025