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Senior structural engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior structural engineer. Senior structural engineers usually study civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or engineering. 61% of senior structural engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,820 real senior structural engineer resumes to see exactly what senior structural engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior structural engineers are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.
There are also many online senior structural engineer courses to help get the education required to be a senior structural engineer.
There are certain senior structural engineer certifications that you should consider. These senior structural engineer certifications include Structural Engineer (SE) and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).
What education do you need to become a senior structural engineer?
What degree do you need to be a senior structural engineer?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 27%
- Doctorate, 6%
- Associate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a senior structural engineer?
- Civil Engineering, 68%
- Engineering, 5%
- Other Majors, 14%
Most common colleges for senior structural engineers
| Senior structural engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Houston | 11.31% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.14% |
| Texas A&M University | 6.55% |
| Purdue University | 6.55% |
| University of Florida | 5.36% |
Best majors for senior structural engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Civil Engineering | 68.4% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 11.5% |
| 3 | Engineering | 4.9% |
| 4 | Architectural Engineering | 2.2% |
| 5 | Aerospace Engineering | 2.0% |
Best colleges for senior structural engineers
The best colleges for senior structural engineers are Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
A senior structural 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 structural 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 structural 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 senior structural engineers
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5. Robot Structural Analysis Professional course
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6. Robot structural Analysis (RC building)
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7. ETABS: For Structural Design of Buildings
Structural Analysis and Structural Design of Residential Building in ETABS with Real World Project...
8. Structural Engineering Abaqus Tutorials
The most comprehensive course with 13.5 hours of real life structural examples under various loading conditions...
9. Fundamentals of Structural Analysis
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10. Autodesk Revit & Robot Structural Analysis + Sheets + BOQ
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18. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation BBS with Excel & CAD
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19. Data Structures A-Z: Data Structures + Algorithms Bootcamp
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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior structural engineers
The most affordable schools for senior structural engineers are University of Florida, florida state university, and florida atlantic university.
If the best universities for senior structural 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 structural 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 senior structural engineers
The hardest universities for senior structural engineers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Some great schools for senior structural 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 structural 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 senior structural engineers
The easiest schools for senior structural 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 senior structural 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 structural 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 senior structural engineer salary by education level
| Senior structural engineer education level | Senior structural engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $102,074 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $93,229 |
| Doctorate Degree | $101,433 |
Senior structural engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025