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Water plant operator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a water plant operator. Water plant operators usually study business, environmental control technologies/technicians, or general studies. 33% of water plant operators hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,161 real water plant operator resumes to see exactly what water plant operator education sections show.
The most common colleges for water plant operators are the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa.
There are also many online water plant operator courses to help get the education required to be a water plant operator.
There are certain water plant operator certifications that you should consider. These water plant operator certifications include Water Treatment Operator Class I and Wastewater Treatment Operator Class I.
What education do you need to become a water plant operator?
What degree do you need to be a water plant operator?
- Bachelor's, 33%
- Associate, 29%
- High School Diploma, 27%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a water plant operator?
- Business, 18%
- General Studies, 8%
- Biology, 8%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for water plant operators
| Water plant operator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Iowa | 9.23% |
| University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus | 6.15% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.15% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 6.15% |
| Lamar University | 6.15% |
Best majors for water plant operators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 17.8% |
| 2 | Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | 11.2% |
| 3 | General Studies | 8.3% |
| 4 | Biology | 7.9% |
| 5 | Environmental Science | 6.6% |
Best colleges for water plant operators
The best colleges for water plant operators are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
A water 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 water 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 water plant operators.
1. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$53,880
Enrollment
6,590
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
4. University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,912
Enrollment
14,245
5. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,570
Enrollment
3,721
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
7. Sacred Heart University
Fairfield, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$41,420
Enrollment
5,907
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
10. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$27,124
Enrollment
2,035
20 best online courses for water plant operators
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3. Design of Water Treatment Systems for Beginners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for water plant operators
The most affordable schools for water plant operators are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for water 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 water plant operators.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Cost of attendance
24,718
10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for water plant operators
The hardest universities for water plant operators to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
Some great schools for water 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 water 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,415
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for water plant operators
The easiest schools for water plant operators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a water 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 water plant operators.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
7. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
8. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
Average water plant operator salary by education level
| Water plant operator education level | Water plant operator salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $45,575 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,063 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $49,580 |
Water plant operator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025