Traffic operations engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a traffic operations engineer. Traffic operations engineers usually study civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or civil engineering technologies. 76% of traffic operations engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 33 real traffic operations engineer resumes to see exactly what traffic operations engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for traffic operations engineers are the Savannah State University and the Savannah State University.

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

What education do you need to become a traffic operations engineer?

What degree do you need to be a traffic operations engineer?

The most common degree for traffic operations engineers is bachelor's degree, with 76% of traffic operations engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 76%

Master's, 16%

Diploma, 4%

Associate, 4%

What should I major in to become a traffic operations engineer?

You should major in civil engineering to become a traffic operations engineer. 57% of traffic operations engineers major in civil engineering. Other common majors for a traffic operations engineer include mechanical engineering and civil engineering technologies.

Civil Engineering, 57%

Mechanical Engineering, 7%

Civil Engineering Technologies, 7%

Industrial Engineering, 7%

Other Majors, 22%

Most common colleges for traffic operations engineers

Traffic operations engineers often get their degrees at Savannah State University, University of Florida, and University of Washington. Here are the most common colleges for traffic operations engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Traffic operations engineer common college	Percentages
Savannah State University	9.52%
University of Florida	4.76%
University of Washington	4.76%
New Mexico State University	4.76%
Marquette University	4.76%

Show more common traffic operations engineer colleges

Best majors for traffic operations engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Civil Engineering	57.1%
2	Mechanical Engineering	7.1%
3	Civil Engineering Technologies	7.1%
4	Industrial Engineering	7.1%
5	Business	3.6%

Show more common traffic operations engineer majors

Best colleges for traffic operations engineers

The best colleges for traffic operations engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A traffic operations 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 traffic operations 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 traffic operations engineers.

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

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 traffic operations engineers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for traffic operations engineers

The most affordable schools for traffic operations engineers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for traffic operations 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 traffic operations engineers.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for traffic operations engineers

The hardest universities for traffic operations engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for traffic operations 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 traffic operations 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

SAT average

1,508

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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for traffic operations engineers

The easiest schools for traffic operations engineers to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, d'youville college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

10. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

Average traffic operations engineer salary by education level

Traffic operations engineers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $70,733 annually. With a Doctorate degree, traffic operations engineers earn a median annual income of $70,410 compared to $63,090 for traffic operations engineers with an Bachelor's degree.

Traffic operations engineer education level	Traffic operations engineer salary
Master's Degree	$70,733
Bachelor's Degree	$63,090
Doctorate Degree	$70,410

Traffic operations engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Traffic Operations Engineers?

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

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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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