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Water/wastewater engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a water/wastewater engineer. Water/wastewater engineers usually study civil engineering, environmental engineering, or chemical engineering. 58% of water/wastewater engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 75 real water/wastewater engineer resumes to see exactly what water/wastewater engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for water/wastewater engineers are the Michigan Technological University and the Michigan Technological University.
There are also many online water/wastewater engineer courses to help get the education required to be a water/wastewater engineer.
What education do you need to become a water/wastewater engineer?
What degree do you need to be a water/wastewater engineer?
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Master's, 24%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Doctorate, 7%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a water/wastewater engineer?
- Civil Engineering, 38%
- Chemical Engineering, 13%
- Other Majors, 29%
Most common colleges for water/wastewater engineers
| Water/wastewater engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Michigan Technological University | 7.69% |
| Stanford University | 7.69% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.69% |
| University of Nebraska - Lincoln | 7.69% |
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | 7.69% |
Best majors for water/wastewater engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Civil Engineering | 38.2% |
| 2 | Environmental Engineering | 12.7% |
| 3 | Chemical Engineering | 12.7% |
| 4 | Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | 7.3% |
| 5 | Engineering | 5.5% |
Best colleges for water/wastewater engineers
The best colleges for water/wastewater engineers are Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A water/wastewater 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/wastewater 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/wastewater 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for water/wastewater engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for water/wastewater engineers
The most affordable schools for water/wastewater engineers are University of Florida, city college of new york of the city university of new york, the, and university of south florida.
If the best universities for water/wastewater 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/wastewater engineers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. 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
3. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
4. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for water/wastewater engineers
The hardest universities for water/wastewater engineers to get into are Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for water/wastewater 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/wastewater 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. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for water/wastewater engineers
The easiest schools for water/wastewater engineers to get into are Washington State University, texas a&m; university - kingsville, and portland state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a water/wastewater 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/wastewater engineers.
1. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
2. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
3. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
4. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
5. University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,202
6. Lamar University
Beaumont, TX • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,043
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. University of Toledo
Toledo, OH • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
1,145
9. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
10. Montana Technological University
Butte, MT • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,199
Average water/wastewater engineer salary by education level
| Water/wastewater engineer education level | Water/wastewater engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $89,977 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $87,072 |
Water/wastewater engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025