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Surveyor Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a surveyor. Surveyors usually study business, civil engineering, or drafting and design. 45% of surveyors hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 16,681 real surveyor resumes to see exactly what surveyor education sections show.
The most common colleges for surveyors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online surveyor courses to help get the education required to be a surveyor.
What education do you need to become a surveyor?
What degree do you need to be a surveyor?
- Bachelor's, 45%
- Associate, 22%
- High School Diploma, 18%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a surveyor?
Most common colleges for surveyors
Surveyor Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.89% |
| Texas A&M University | 8.30% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.38% |
| New Mexico State University | 6.09% |
| Florida State University | 5.54% |
Best majors for surveyors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 15.2% |
| 2 | Civil Engineering | 8.9% |
| 3 | Drafting And Design | 6.7% |
| 4 | Nursing | 6.7% |
| 5 | General Studies | 6.1% |
Best colleges for surveyors
The best colleges for surveyors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A surveyor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for surveyors. 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 surveyors.
1. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,570
Enrollment
3,721
20 best online courses for surveyors
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1. Survey Data Collection and Analytics
This specialization covers the fundamentals of surveys as used in market research, evaluation research, social science and political research, official government statistics, and many other topic domains. In six courses, you will learn the basics of questionnaire design, data collection methods, sampling design, dealing with missing values, making estimates, combining data from different sources, and the analysis of survey data. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned...
2. Analyze Survey Data with Tableau
Surveys are used in a variety of scenarios, both in businesses and in research. Companies are using them to better understand consumer insights and feedback, and researchers are going beyond the traditional uses to learn more about the world around us. Tableau can help visualize survey data of all kinds in a useful way—without needing advanced statistics, graphic design, or a statistics background. In this project, learners will learn how to create an account in Tableau and how to manipulate...
3. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales
How to Process Survey Data and Analyze Likert Scales In SPSS...
4. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation BBS with Excel & CAD
Quantity Surveying, Construction Estimation ,Quantity survey ,Cost Estimation ,Civil engineering, Building Estimation...
5. Utilize Survey Monkey as an Evaluation Tool
Surveys and evaluations can be used to reflect on your training or customer experiences. The data you collect can help to adjust your training and you can find out directly from your employees if they are satisfied. Customers can let you know what they are thinking and what they actually want. In this project you will learn about Survey Monkey as an evaluation tool throughout the cycle of developing an event. By the end of your time in this project you will have multiple evaluation surveys to...
6. Use SurveyMonkey to Create a Survey and Analyze Results
In this project, we will walk through the survey making process and explore the many ways that SurveyMonkey streamlines and simplifies data collection. We will learn how the program is organized and how it operates, helping you feel comfortable and confident enough to create your own survey to meet your own individual needs. SurveyMonkey is a cloud based survey software which allows its users to create online surveys for free. SurveyMonkey can help move a business in the right direction by...
7. The Ultimate Guide for Land Surveying with Drones - Part 3
Master the use of Ground Control Points (GCPs) to make your UAV mapping projects absolutely survey grade!!...
8. The Ultimate Guide for Land Surveying with Drones - Part 2
Learn to work with Pix4D & Drone Deploy outputs on QGIS, Auto CAD & Google Earth. Start your own UAV mapping business now!...
9. Design a User Experience Survey in SurveyMonkey
By the end of this project you will be able to design a User Experience survey that will collect data to uncover user needs, how products meet those needs, and mine insights that will aid in building and designing solutions. To do this, you will gain hands-on experience designing a User Experience survey with a free account on the SurveyMonkey cloud-based software service. Note: This course works best for learners who are based in the North America region. We’re currently working on providing...
10. Quantity Surveying With Rate Analysis And Take Off-Beginners
Quantity Surveying, Quantity Takeoff, Estimation, Rate Analysis, Blubeam Revu, Planswift, Costing, Construction Drawings...
Top 10 most affordable universities for surveyors
The most affordable schools for surveyors are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for surveyors 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 surveyors.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Cost of Attendance
16,091
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-State Tuition
$4,094
Cost of Attendance
14,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for surveyors
The hardest universities for surveyors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for surveyors 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 surveyors 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
4%
SAT Average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
22%
SAT Average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
20%
SAT Average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for surveyors
The easiest schools for surveyors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a surveyor 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 surveyors.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
68%
SAT Average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
70%
SAT Average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
994
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
83%
SAT Average
1,061
Average surveyor salary by education level
| Surveyor education level | Surveyor salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,742 |
Surveyor Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025