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Water resource manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a water resource manager. Water resource managers usually study civil engineering, business, or environmental science. 62% of water resource managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 107 real water resource manager resumes to see exactly what water resource manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for water resource managers are the Northern Arizona University and the Northern Arizona University.
There are also many online water resource manager courses to help get the education required to be a water resource manager.
What education do you need to become a water resource manager?
What degree do you need to be a water resource manager?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 8%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a water resource manager?
- Civil Engineering, 24%
- Business, 10%
- Geology, 8%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for water resource managers
| Water resource manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Northern Arizona University | 12.00% |
| University of California - Davis | 8.00% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.00% |
| University of Colorado at Colorado Springs | 8.00% |
| Western Washington University | 4.00% |
Best majors for water resource managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Civil Engineering | 23.9% |
| 2 | Business | 9.9% |
| 3 | Environmental Science | 9.9% |
| 4 | Geology | 8.5% |
| 5 | Biology | 5.6% |
Best colleges for water resource managers
The best colleges for water resource managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A water resource manager 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 resource managers. 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 resource managers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for water resource managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for water resource managers
The most affordable schools for water resource managers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for water resource managers 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 resource managers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. 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
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
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 water resource managers
The hardest universities for water resource managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for water resource managers 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 resource managers 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for water resource managers
The easiest schools for water resource managers to get into are Barry University, wayland baptist university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a water resource manager 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 resource managers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
Average water resource manager salary by education level
| Water resource manager education level | Water resource manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $106,801 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $91,177 |
| Doctorate Degree | $113,044 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $71,634 |
Water resource manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025