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Water quality analyst education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a water quality analyst. Water quality analysts usually study biology, environmental science, or chemistry. 73% of water quality analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 134 real water quality analyst resumes to see exactly what water quality analyst education sections show.
The most common colleges for water quality analysts are the Florida International University and the Florida International University.
There are also many online water quality analyst courses to help get the education required to be a water quality analyst.
What education do you need to become a water quality analyst?
What degree do you need to be a water quality analyst?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 5%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a water quality analyst?
Most common colleges for water quality analysts
| Water quality analyst common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Florida International University | 9.68% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.45% |
| University of Idaho | 6.45% |
| The Evergreen State College | 6.45% |
| Boise State University | 6.45% |
Best majors for water quality analysts
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 22.0% |
| 2 | Environmental Science | 20.7% |
| 3 | Chemistry | 12.2% |
| 4 | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology | 9.8% |
| 5 | Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | 4.9% |
Best colleges for water quality analysts
The best colleges for water quality analysts are University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A water quality analyst 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 quality analysts. 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 quality analysts.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
8. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for water quality analysts
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2. Total Data Quality
This specialization aims to explore the Total Data Quality framework in depth and provide learners with more information about the detailed evaluation of total data quality that needs to happen prior to data analysis. The goal is for learners to incorporate evaluations of data quality into their process as a critical component for all projects. We sincerely hope to disseminate knowledge about total data quality to all learners, such as data scientists and quantitative analysts, who have not had...
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By the end of this second course in the Total Data Quality Specialization, learners will be able to: 1. Learn various metrics for evaluating Total Data Quality (TDQ) at each stage of the TDQ framework. 2. Create a quality concept map that tracks relevant aspects of TDQ from a particular application or data source. 3. Think through relative trade-offs between quality aspects, relative costs and practical constraints imposed by a particular project or study. 4. Identify relevant software and...
6. The Total Data Quality Framework
By the end of this first course in the Total Data Quality specialization, learners will be able to: 1. Identify the essential differences between designed and gathered data and summarize the key dimensions of the Total Data Quality (TDQ) Framework; 2. Define the three measurement dimensions of the Total Data Quality framework, and describe potential threats to data quality along each of these dimensions for both gathered and designed data; 3. Define the three representation dimensions of the...
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9. Climate Change and Water in Mountains: A Global Concern
What is climate change ? How are mountain regions affected by the evolution of water resources and their uses ? What kind of risks need to be considered ? Mountains are recognized as particularly sensitive physical environments where intense and rapid changes have in the past, and may increasingly in the future, place pressure on their resource base. In this context, a team of roughly 100 experts worked from 2008 to 2013 for the European ACQWA project (www.acqwa.ch) which was coordinated by the...
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Data analysis skills are widely sought by employers, both nationally and internationally. This specialization is ideal for anyone interested in data analysis for improving quality and processes in business and industry. The skills taught in this specialization have been used extensively to improve business performance, quality, and reliability.\n\nBy completing this specialization, you will improve your ability to analyze data and interpret results as well as gain new skills, such as using...
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12. Cost of Quality Analysis and Reporting using Microsoft Excel
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13. Education on climate change: water and soil
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Learn Data Quality Management from A to Z. This complete guide covers all Data Quality Principles, Techniques and more...
15. Become a Data Analyst - (Python, Excel, SQL, Power BI )
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16. Regression Analysis / Data Analytics in Regression
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19. Practical SQL Bootcamp for Data Analysts and Data Scientists
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20. Python Data Analysis & Visualization Bootcamp
Financial Data Analysis and Visualization with Python: The High Quality Study kit...
Top 10 most affordable universities for water quality analysts
The most affordable schools for water quality analysts are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for water quality analysts 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 quality analysts.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. 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
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for water quality analysts
The hardest universities for water quality analysts to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for water quality analysts 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 quality analysts 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,488
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for water quality analysts
The easiest schools for water quality analysts to get into are Barry University, d'youville college, and saint joseph's college of maine.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a water quality analyst 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 quality analysts.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average water quality analyst salary by education level
| Water quality analyst education level | Water quality analyst salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $56,177 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $49,126 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,608 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $52,171 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025