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Water superintendent education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a water superintendent. Water superintendents usually study environmental control technologies/technicians, business, or general studies. 41% of water superintendents hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 221 real water superintendent resumes to see exactly what water superintendent education sections show.

The most common colleges for water superintendents are the Kansas State University and the Kansas State University.

There are also many online water superintendent courses to help get the education required to be a water superintendent.

What education do you need to become a water superintendent?

What degree do you need to be a water superintendent?

The most common degree for water superintendents is bachelor's degree, with 41% of water superintendents earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 16%.
  • Bachelor's, 41%
  • Associate, 25%
  • High School Diploma, 16%
  • Master's, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become a water superintendent?

You should major in environmental control technologies/technicians to become a water superintendent. 14% of water superintendents major in environmental control technologies/technicians. Other common majors for a water superintendent include business and general studies.

Most common colleges for water superintendents

Water superintendents often get their degrees at Kansas State University, Purdue University, and Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Here are the most common colleges for water superintendents in the US based on their resumes.
Water superintendent common collegePercentages
Kansas State University8.82%
Purdue University5.88%
Southeastern Oklahoma State University5.88%
University of Massachusetts Amherst5.88%
University of Nevada - Las Vegas5.88%

Best majors for water superintendents

Best colleges for water superintendents

The best colleges for water superintendents are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A water superintendent 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 superintendents. 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 superintendents.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

6. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

20 best online courses for water superintendents

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1. Sustainable Urban Water Systems

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Top 10 most affordable universities for water superintendents

The most affordable schools for water superintendents are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for water superintendents 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 superintendents.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

10. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for water superintendents

The hardest universities for water superintendents to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for water superintendents 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 superintendents 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

8. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for water superintendents

The easiest schools for water superintendents to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and university of north texas at dallas.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a water superintendent 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 superintendents.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

10. Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,080

Average water superintendent salary by education level

Water superintendents with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $97,126 annually. With a Doctorate degree, water superintendents earn a median annual income of $91,122 compared to $75,387 for water superintendents with an Bachelor's degree.
Water superintendent education levelWater superintendent salary
Master's Degree$97,126
High School Diploma or Less$53,346
Bachelor's Degree$75,387
Doctorate Degree$91,122
Some College/ Associate Degree$56,169

Water superintendent 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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