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Water systems engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a water systems engineer. Water systems engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or civil engineering. 83% of water systems engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 6% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 44 real water systems engineer resumes to see exactly what water systems engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for water systems engineers are the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Georgia Institute of Technology.
There are also many online water systems engineer courses to help get the education required to be a water systems engineer.
What education do you need to become a water systems engineer?
What degree do you need to be a water systems engineer?
- Bachelor's, 83%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Master's, 6%
- Associate, 6%
What should I major in to become a water systems engineer?
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for water systems engineers
| Water systems engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 13.04% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 8.70% |
| Michigan Technological University | 4.35% |
| Texas A&M University | 4.35% |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | 4.35% |
Best majors for water systems engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 26.5% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 8.8% |
| 3 | Civil Engineering | 5.9% |
| 4 | Nuclear Engineering | 5.9% |
| 5 | Chemical Engineering | 5.9% |
Best colleges for water systems engineers
The best colleges for water systems engineers are Columbia University in the City of New York, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University.
A water systems 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 systems 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 systems 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for water systems engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for water systems engineers
The most affordable schools for water systems engineers 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 systems 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 systems engineers.
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. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
5. 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
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for water systems engineers
The hardest universities for water systems engineers to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for water systems 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 systems 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for water systems engineers
The easiest schools for water systems engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, the university of texas permian basin, and texas a&m; university - kingsville.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a water systems 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 systems engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
3. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
6. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
7. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
Average water systems engineer salary by education level
| Water systems engineer education level | Water systems engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $97,482 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $93,595 |
Water systems engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025