Site engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a site engineer. Site engineers usually study civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering. 77% of site engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 4,754 real site engineer resumes to see exactly what site engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for site engineers are the Arkansas Tech University and the Arkansas Tech University.

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

There are certain site engineer certifications that you should consider. These site engineer certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and OSHA Safety Certificate .

What education do you need to become a site engineer?

What degree do you need to be a site engineer?

The most common degree for site engineers is bachelor's degree, with 77% of site engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 8% and master's degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 77%

Master's, 8%

Diploma, 7%

Associate, 5%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a site engineer?

You should major in civil engineering to become a site engineer. 52% of site engineers major in civil engineering. Other common majors for a site engineer include mechanical engineering and electrical engineering.

Civil Engineering, 52%

Mechanical Engineering, 11%

Electrical Engineering, 11%

Engineering, 7%

Other Majors, 19%

Most common colleges for site engineers

Site engineers often get their degrees at Arkansas Tech University, Cairn University, and National University. Here are the most common colleges for site engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Site engineer common college	Percentages
Arkansas Tech University	21.93%
Cairn University	10.96%
National University	5.70%
The University of Alabama	5.26%
Texas A&M University	5.26%

Show more common site engineer colleges

Best majors for site engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Civil Engineering	51.8%
2	Mechanical Engineering	10.6%
3	Electrical Engineering	10.5%
4	Engineering	6.7%
5	Business	2.5%

Show more common site engineer majors

Best colleges for site engineers

The best colleges for site engineers are Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A site 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 site 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 site engineers.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for site engineers

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3. Diploma in Basics of Civil Engineering for Construction

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(294)

Practical Course to Gain Quick Knowledge in Civil Engineering & Get Entry Level Jobs in Construction as Freshers...

4. Construction Site Electrical System Design

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Learn how to design a safe, flexible and durable electrical system for any construction site...

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Teaching students an overview of Share Point Site Owner roles and responsibilities...

Top 10 most affordable universities for site engineers

The most affordable schools for site engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and florida state university.

If the best universities for site 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 site engineers.

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

5. 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

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for site engineers

The hardest universities for site engineers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for site 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 site 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

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

The easiest schools for site engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, south dakota state university, and washington state university.

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

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

3. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

4. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

5. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

6. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

7. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

8. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

9. California State University - Chico

Chico, CA • Private

Admissions rate

65%

SAT average

1,092

10. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

Average site engineer salary by education level

Site engineers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $83,060 annually. With a Doctorate degree, site engineers earn a median annual income of $82,443 compared to $74,601 for site engineers with an Bachelor's degree.

Site engineer education level	Site engineer salary
Master's Degree	$83,060
Bachelor's Degree	$74,601
Doctorate Degree	$82,443

Site engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Site Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

Search for site engineer jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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