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Water resources engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a water resources engineer. Water resources engineers usually study civil engineering, environmental engineering, or engineering. 65% of water resources engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 515 real water resources engineer resumes to see exactly what water resources engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for water resources engineers are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online water resources engineer courses to help get the education required to be a water resources engineer.
What education do you need to become a water resources engineer?
What degree do you need to be a water resources engineer?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a water resources engineer?
- Civil Engineering, 52%
- Engineering, 5%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for water resources engineers
| Water resources engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 9.78% |
| Colorado State University | 7.61% |
| University of Iowa | 6.52% |
| University of Delaware | 6.52% |
| University of Florida | 5.43% |
Best majors for water resources engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Civil Engineering | 51.8% |
| 2 | Environmental Engineering | 11.8% |
| 3 | Engineering | 4.8% |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering | 4.5% |
| 5 | Chemical Engineering | 3.4% |
Best colleges for water resources engineers
The best colleges for water resources engineers are Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A water resources engineer 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 resources engineers. 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 resources engineers.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
9. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for water resources engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for water resources engineers
The most affordable schools for water resources engineers are University of Florida, university of south florida, and city college of new york of the city university of new york, the.
If the best universities for water resources engineers 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 resources engineers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
3. 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
4. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for water resources engineers
The hardest universities for water resources engineers to get into are Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for water resources engineers 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 resources engineers 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. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for water resources engineers
The easiest schools for water resources engineers to get into are Portland State University, washington state university, and oregon institute of technology.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a water resources engineer 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 resources engineers.
1. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
2. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
3. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
4. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
5. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
6. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
7. University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,202
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
10. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
Average water resources engineer salary by education level
| Water resources engineer education level | Water resources engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $83,847 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $81,540 |
Water resources engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025