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Wastewater plant operator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a wastewater plant operator. Wastewater plant operators usually study environmental control technologies/technicians, business, or environmental science. 35% of wastewater plant operators hold a associate degree, and 34% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 313 real wastewater plant operator resumes to see exactly what wastewater plant operator education sections show.
The most common colleges for wastewater plant operators are the Florida Gateway College and the Florida Gateway College.
There are also many online wastewater plant operator courses to help get the education required to be a wastewater plant operator.
What education do you need to become a wastewater plant operator?
What degree do you need to be a wastewater plant operator?
- Associate, 35%
- Bachelor's, 34%
- High School Diploma, 20%
- Master's, 2%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a wastewater plant operator?
Most common colleges for wastewater plant operators
| Wastewater plant operator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Florida Gateway College | 9.68% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 9.68% |
| New Mexico State University | 6.45% |
| Lamar University | 6.45% |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology | 6.45% |
Best majors for wastewater plant operators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | 20.0% |
| 2 | Business | 13.3% |
| 3 | Environmental Science | 10.5% |
| 4 | Education | 5.7% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering | 5.7% |
Best colleges for wastewater plant operators
The best colleges for wastewater plant operators are Duke University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A wastewater plant operator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for wastewater plant operators. 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 wastewater plant operators.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
3. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
4. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,874
Enrollment
1,819
5. University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,912
Enrollment
14,245
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$8,072
Enrollment
10,529
8. University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK • Private
In-state tuition
$6,657
Enrollment
4,657
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
10. Colby College
Waterville, ME • Private
In-state tuition
$55,210
Enrollment
2,000
20 best online courses for wastewater plant operators
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Top 10 most affordable universities for wastewater plant operators
The most affordable schools for wastewater plant operators are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and university of washington.
If the best universities for wastewater plant operators 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 wastewater plant operators.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
6. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Cost of attendance
23,600
7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Cost of attendance
36,739
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for wastewater plant operators
The hardest universities for wastewater plant operators to get into are Duke University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for wastewater plant operators 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 wastewater plant operators 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
5. Colby College
Waterville, ME • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,437
6. Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA • Private
Admissions rate
33%
SAT average
1,353
7. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,415
9. Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,366
10. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for wastewater plant operators
The easiest schools for wastewater plant operators to get into are Saint Joseph's College of Maine, thomas more university, and curry college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a wastewater plant operator 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 wastewater plant operators.
1. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
2. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
3. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
6. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
7. Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,062
8. Clarke University
Dubuque, IA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,058
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average wastewater plant operator salary by education level
| Wastewater plant operator education level | Wastewater plant operator salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $45,384 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,798 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $49,324 |
Wastewater plant operator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025