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Soil engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a soil engineer. Soil engineers usually study civil engineering, engineering, or geology. 43% of soil engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 47 real soil engineer resumes to see exactly what soil engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for soil engineers are the University of Kentucky and the University of Kentucky.
There are also many online soil engineer courses to help get the education required to be a soil engineer.
What education do you need to become a soil engineer?
What degree do you need to be a soil engineer?
- Bachelor's, 43%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 13%
- Doctorate, 13%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a soil engineer?
- Civil Engineering, 44%
- Engineering, 9%
- Geology, 6%
- Philosophy, 3%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for soil engineers
| Soil engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Kentucky | 5.88% |
| San Francisco State University | 5.88% |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | 5.88% |
| Purdue University | 5.88% |
| San Diego State University | 5.88% |
Best majors for soil engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Civil Engineering | 43.8% |
| 2 | Engineering | 9.4% |
| 3 | Geology | 6.3% |
| 4 | Philosophy | 3.1% |
| 5 | Natural Sciences | 3.1% |
Best colleges for soil engineers
The best colleges for soil engineers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A soil 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 soil 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 soil engineers.
1. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
20 best online courses for soil engineers
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20. 45 Days Internship on Building Construction Practice on Site
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Top 10 most affordable universities for soil engineers
The most affordable schools for soil engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and city college of new york of the city university of new york, the.
If the best universities for soil 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 soil 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. 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
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for soil engineers
The hardest universities for soil engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for soil 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 soil 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for soil engineers
The easiest schools for soil engineers to get into are Wayland Baptist University, texas a&m; university - kingsville, and oregon institute of technology.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a soil 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 soil engineers.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
3. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
4. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
5. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
6. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
Average soil engineer salary by education level
| Soil engineer education level | Soil engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $75,953 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $73,505 |
Soil engineer 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