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Topographical engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a topographical engineer. Topographical engineers usually study business, geography, or computer information systems. 56% of topographical engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 42 real topographical engineer resumes to see exactly what topographical engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for topographical engineers are the Delta State University and the Delta State University.
There are also many online topographical engineer courses to help get the education required to be a topographical engineer.
What education do you need to become a topographical engineer?
What degree do you need to be a topographical engineer?
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Associate, 28%
- Diploma, 11%
- High School Diploma, 6%
What should I major in to become a topographical engineer?
- Business, 10%
- Geography, 10%
- Accounting, 10%
- Other Majors, 60%
Most common colleges for topographical engineers
| Topographical engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Delta State University | 15.38% |
| DeVry University | 7.69% |
| University of Washington | 7.69% |
| American InterContinental University | 7.69% |
| Boston University | 7.69% |
Best majors for topographical engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 10.0% |
| 2 | Geography | 10.0% |
| 3 | Computer Information Systems | 10.0% |
| 4 | Accounting | 10.0% |
| 5 | Sociology | 5.0% |
Best colleges for topographical engineers
The best colleges for topographical engineers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A topographical 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 topographical 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 topographical engineers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for topographical engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for topographical engineers
The most affordable schools for topographical engineers are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for topographical 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 topographical engineers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
10. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for topographical engineers
The hardest universities for topographical engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for topographical 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 topographical 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for topographical engineers
The easiest schools for topographical engineers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a topographical 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 topographical engineers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
5. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
6. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
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. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
10. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
Average topographical engineer salary by education level
| Topographical engineer education level | Topographical engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $82,457 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $72,447 |
| Doctorate Degree | $81,719 |
Topographical 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