Survey manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a survey manager. Survey managers usually study surveying, mapping, and hydraulic technologies, civil engineering, or business. 54% of survey managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 699 real survey manager resumes to see exactly what survey manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for survey managers are the Ferris State University and the Ferris State University.

There are also many online survey manager courses to help get the education required to be a survey manager.

There are certain survey manager certifications that you should consider. These survey manager certifications include Certified Survey Technician (CST) and Certified Agile Developer (CAD).

What education do you need to become a survey manager?

What degree do you need to be a survey manager?

The most common degree for survey managers is bachelor's degree, with 54% of survey managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 54%

Associate, 27%

Master's, 10%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a survey manager?

You should major in surveying, mapping, and hydraulic technologies to become a survey manager. 18% of survey managers major in surveying, mapping, and hydraulic technologies. Other common majors for a survey manager include civil engineering and business.

Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies, 18%

Civil Engineering, 15%

Business, 10%

Engineering, 7%

Other Majors, 50%

Most common colleges for survey managers

Survey managers often get their degrees at Ferris State University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and Sam Houston State University. Here are the most common colleges for survey managers in the US based on their resumes.

Survey manager common college	Percentages
Ferris State University	10.29%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale	5.88%
Sam Houston State University	5.88%
Pennsylvania State University	5.88%
University of Maine	5.88%

Show more common survey manager colleges

Best majors for survey managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies	17.8%
2	Civil Engineering	14.5%
3	Business	9.5%
4	Engineering	7.1%
5	Civil Engineering Technologies	6.2%

Show more common survey manager majors

Best colleges for survey managers

The best colleges for survey managers are Purdue University, Pennsylvania State University, and Michigan Technological University.

A survey manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for survey managers. 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 survey managers.

1. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

2. Pennsylvania State University - Wilkes-Barre

Lehman, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,586

Enrollment

401

3. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$11,788

Enrollment

11,008

4. University of Maine

Orono, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$11,170

Enrollment

8,861

5. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$9,055

Enrollment

9,672

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

7. New Jersey Institute of Technology

Newark, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$17,338

Enrollment

7,820

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

9. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

10. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

20 best online courses for survey managers

Advertising disclosure

1. Survey Data Collection and Analytics

This specialization covers the fundamentals of surveys as used in market research, evaluation research, social science and political research, official government statistics, and many other topic domains. In six courses, you will learn the basics of questionnaire design, data collection methods, sampling design, dealing with missing values, making estimates, combining data from different sources, and the analysis of survey data. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned...

2. Analyze Survey Data with Tableau

Surveys are used in a variety of scenarios, both in businesses and in research. Companies are using them to better understand consumer insights and feedback, and researchers are going beyond the traditional uses to learn more about the world around us. Tableau can help visualize survey data of all kinds in a useful way—without needing advanced statistics, graphic design, or a statistics background. In this project, learners will learn how to create an account in Tableau and how to manipulate...

3. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales

4.6

(505)

How to Process Survey Data and Analyze Likert Scales In SPSS...

4. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation BBS with Excel & CAD

4.4

(1,052)

Quantity Surveying, Construction Estimation ,Quantity survey ,Cost Estimation ,Civil engineering, Building Estimation...

5. Utilize Survey Monkey as an Evaluation Tool

Surveys and evaluations can be used to reflect on your training or customer experiences. The data you collect can help to adjust your training and you can find out directly from your employees if they are satisfied. Customers can let you know what they are thinking and what they actually want. In this project you will learn about Survey Monkey as an evaluation tool throughout the cycle of developing an event. By the end of your time in this project you will have multiple evaluation surveys to...

6. Use SurveyMonkey to Create a Survey and Analyze Results

In this project, we will walk through the survey making process and explore the many ways that SurveyMonkey streamlines and simplifies data collection. We will learn how the program is organized and how it operates, helping you feel comfortable and confident enough to create your own survey to meet your own individual needs. SurveyMonkey is a cloud based survey software which allows its users to create online surveys for free. SurveyMonkey can help move a business in the right direction by...

7. Quantity Surveying Templates for Effective Cost Management

4.5

(345)

Quantity Surveying, Payment Application, Payment Tracker, Variation, Claim, Material Claim, Guarantees, Price Comparison...

8. The Ultimate Guide for Land Surveying with Drones - Part 3

4.3

(277)

Master the use of Ground Control Points (GCPs) to make your UAV mapping projects absolutely survey grade!!...

9. Design a User Experience Survey in SurveyMonkey

By the end of this project you will be able to design a User Experience survey that will collect data to uncover user needs, how products meet those needs, and mine insights that will aid in building and designing solutions. To do this, you will gain hands-on experience designing a User Experience survey with a free account on the SurveyMonkey cloud-based software service. Note: This course works best for learners who are based in the North America region. We’re currently working on providing...

10. Construction Project Scheduling

4.5

(346)

Learn the tools and techniques used by construction management professionals to ensure projects finish on time...

11. Mastering Construction/Project Management

4.2

(659)

Mastering Construction-Project Management in less than 10 Hours...

12. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation,Cad Excel & Planswift

4.4

(2,658)

Quantity Surveying, Quantity Takeoff, BBS In Excel ,Complete Project In Autocad, Project Planning With Primavera P6...

13. Quantity Surveying With Rate Analysis And Take Off-Beginners

4.2

(340)

Quantity Surveying, Quantity Takeoff, Estimation, Rate Analysis, Blubeam Revu, Planswift, Costing, Construction Drawings...

14. Complete KoboToolbox Training Course

4.5

(388)

Learn the basic & advanced techniques of developing & deploying mobile survey data collection forms with Kobo Toolbox...

15. Contracts Management in Construction Projects

4.3

(730)

Contracts Management, Contract Administration, FIDIC, Bank Guarantees, Contracts, Letter Drafting, Quantity Surveying...

16. Construction Procurement Management

4.5

(300)

A course on procurement designed for engineers new to the infrastructure/construction industry...

17. Construction Cost Estimating and Management

4.6

(642)

Learn the tools used by construction management professionals to ensure their projects finish under budget...

18. Construction Claims Management

4.4

(511)

This Master Course will provide you with a professional claims management system for all your construction projects...

19. The Ultimate Guide for Land Surveying with Drones - Part 2

4.1

(515)

Learn to work with Pix4D & Drone Deploy outputs on QGIS, Auto CAD & Google Earth. Start your own UAV mapping business now!...

20. The Complete Guide to Construction Management

4.2

(692)

The Most Essential Course for EVERY Construction Project!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for survey managers

The most affordable schools for survey managers are University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez, florida atlantic university, and purdue university.

If the best universities for survey managers 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 survey managers.

1. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

2. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

3. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

4. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$7,666

Cost of attendance

21,702

7. University of Wyoming

Laramie, WY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,400

Cost of attendance

19,777

8. North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$6,612

Cost of attendance

17,639

9. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,265

Cost of attendance

19,401

10. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$11,788

Cost of attendance

22,715

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for survey managers

The hardest universities for survey managers to get into are Purdue University, Pennsylvania State University, and Michigan Technological University.

Some great schools for survey managers 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 survey managers 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. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

2. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,269

3. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

Admissions rate

74%

SAT average

1,272

4. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

1,359

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,362

6. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

61%

SAT average

1,227

7. Pennsylvania State University - Wilkes-Barre

Lehman, PA • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,075

8. New Jersey Institute of Technology

Newark, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,287

9. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,159

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for survey managers

The easiest schools for survey managers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, texas a&m; university - corpus christi, and ferris state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a survey manager 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 survey managers.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

3. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

4. Pennsylvania State University - Wilkes-Barre

Lehman, PA • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,075

5. Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,016

6. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

7. University of Maine

Orono, ME • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,156

8. Troy University

Troy, AL • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,082

9. University of Wyoming

Laramie, WY • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,202

10. Middle Georgia State University

Macon, GA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

980

Average survey manager salary by education level

Survey manager education level	Survey manager salary
Bachelor's Degree	$51,780

Survey manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Survey Managers?

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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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