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Wastewater treatment plant attendant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a wastewater treatment plant attendant. Wastewater treatment plant attendants usually study civil engineering, biology, or electrical engineering technology. 60% of wastewater treatment plant attendants hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 30 real wastewater treatment plant attendant resumes to see exactly what wastewater treatment plant attendant education sections show.

The most common colleges for wastewater treatment plant attendants are the Kansas State University and the Kansas State University.

There are also many online wastewater treatment plant attendant courses to help get the education required to be a wastewater treatment plant attendant.

What education do you need to become a wastewater treatment plant attendant?

What degree do you need to be a wastewater treatment plant attendant?

The most common degree for wastewater treatment plant attendants is bachelor's degree, with 60% of wastewater treatment plant attendants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 10% and high school diploma degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 60%
  • High School Diploma, 10%
  • Diploma, 10%
  • Associate, 10%
  • Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become a wastewater treatment plant attendant?

You should major in civil engineering to become a wastewater treatment plant attendant. 29% of wastewater treatment plant attendants major in civil engineering. Other common majors for a wastewater treatment plant attendant include biology and electrical engineering technology.

Most common colleges for wastewater treatment plant attendants

Wastewater treatment plant attendants often get their degrees at Kansas State University, Northwest University, and University of Illinois at Chicago. Here are the most common colleges for wastewater treatment plant attendants in the US based on their resumes.
Wastewater treatment plant attendant common collegePercentages
Kansas State University50.00%
Northwest University16.67%
University of Illinois at Chicago16.67%
University of Arkansas at Little Rock16.67%

Best majors for wastewater treatment plant attendants

Best colleges for wastewater treatment plant attendants

The best colleges for wastewater treatment plant attendants are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Stanford University.

A wastewater treatment plant attendant 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 treatment plant attendants. 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 treatment plant attendants.

1. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

20 best online courses for wastewater treatment plant attendants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for wastewater treatment plant attendants

The most affordable schools for wastewater treatment plant attendants are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and new mexico institute of mining and technology.

If the best universities for wastewater treatment plant attendants 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 treatment plant attendants.

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. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. 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

7. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for wastewater treatment plant attendants

The hardest universities for wastewater treatment plant attendants to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for wastewater treatment plant attendants 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 treatment plant attendants 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for wastewater treatment plant attendants

The easiest schools for wastewater treatment plant attendants to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, oregon institute of technology, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a wastewater treatment plant attendant 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 treatment plant attendants.

1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

2. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average wastewater treatment plant attendant salary by education level

According to our data, wastewater treatment plant attendants with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $50,401 annually. Wastewater treatment plant attendants with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $49,959.
Wastewater treatment plant attendant education levelWastewater treatment plant attendant salary
High School Diploma or Less$46,271
Bachelor's Degree$50,401
Some College/ Associate Degree$49,959

Wastewater treatment plant attendant education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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