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Water treatment plant engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a water treatment plant engineer. Water treatment plant engineers usually study chemical engineering, civil engineering, or chemistry. 68% of water treatment plant engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 35 real water treatment plant engineer resumes to see exactly what water treatment plant engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for water treatment plant engineers are the University of Maryland - Baltimore County and the University of Maryland - Baltimore County.
There are also many online water treatment plant engineer courses to help get the education required to be a water treatment plant engineer.
What education do you need to become a water treatment plant engineer?
What degree do you need to be a water treatment plant engineer?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 5%
- Associate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 13%
What should I major in to become a water treatment plant engineer?
- Chemical Engineering, 15%
- Civil Engineering, 11%
- Chemistry, 7%
- Other Majors, 60%
Most common colleges for water treatment plant engineers
| Water treatment plant engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Maryland - Baltimore County | 18.18% |
| University of Florida | 9.09% |
| SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | 9.09% |
| University of Central Florida | 9.09% |
| Miles College | 9.09% |
Best majors for water treatment plant engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemical Engineering | 14.8% |
| 2 | Civil Engineering | 11.1% |
| 3 | Chemistry | 7.4% |
| 4 | Environmental Engineering | 7.4% |
| 5 | Chemical Technology | 7.4% |
Best colleges for water treatment plant engineers
The best colleges for water treatment plant engineers are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.
A water treatment plant 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 treatment plant 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 treatment plant engineers.
1. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
2. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
20 best online courses for water treatment plant engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for water treatment plant engineers
The most affordable schools for water treatment plant engineers are University of Florida, new mexico institute of mining and technology, and florida international university.
If the best universities for water treatment plant 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 treatment plant engineers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. 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
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
10. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Cost of attendance
28,501
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for water treatment plant engineers
The hardest universities for water treatment plant engineers to get into are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for water treatment plant 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 treatment plant 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for water treatment plant engineers
The easiest schools for water treatment plant engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, old dominion university, and cleveland state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a water treatment plant 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 treatment plant engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
3. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
4. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
5. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
6. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
7. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
8. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
9. North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,170
10. Lamar University
Beaumont, TX • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,043
Average water treatment plant engineer salary by education level
| Water treatment plant engineer education level | Water treatment plant engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $78,498 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $76,689 |
Water treatment plant engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025