Are you considering a construction management career? Say no more. This article covers the most popular colleges with construction management degree programs. We’ll also dive into expenses, best career options and benefits.
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Table of Contents
Top Colleges
Here’s a list of the best colleges with the ideal construction management degree programs according to popularity.
1. University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
- 240 Williamson Hall 231 Pillsbury Dr. S.E. Minneapolis MN 55455-0213
- Tuition: Commuter– $24, 118; Resident Dorm/Apartment: $32, 904 Non-Resident Dorm/Apartment: $54, 318
This College of Continuing & Professional Studies program helps you learn how to build greener, more robust, safer and more beautiful buildings, highways, schools and stadiums.
This program offers teachings about the latest construction technology, estimating project costs, writing in-depth specification contracts, supervising construction projects from start to finish and more.
2. Virginia Tech
- Blacksburg, VA 24061-0002
- Tuition: In-State – $32,274 on campus and $31,622 off campus; Out-Of-State – $52,758 on campus and $52,106 off campus
The construction engineering and management program offers skills in decision and optimization methods for resource management and allocation for socially responsible, sustainable, safe and ethical practices.
Top courses include CEM 2104 – Intro to CEM, CEM 4445/4446 – The Capstone Experience and CEM 3074 – Rwanda Project 2019.
3. Clemson University
- 105 Sikes Hall Box 345124 Clemson, SC 29634-5124
- Tuition: $28,596 In-State; $51,558 Out-Of-State
Classes in the construction science and management program emphasize modern construction industry practices and protocols for structures, contract documents, estimating, materials, project management and more.
4. New York University
- 50 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10012
- Tuition: $90,658 On/Off-Campus; $72,752 Commuter
Gain your Master’s of Science or minor in Construction Management to manage small and large projects, from technology and finance to leadership, building information modeling and more.
5. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse, NY 13210
- Tuition: $29,276 – Resident Plan A On-Campus Housing; $40, 236 – Non-Resident Plan A On-Campus Housing
Gain a B.S., M.S. or M.P.S. in construction management with hands-on, team-centric and technological courses to prepare you for project leadership. Discover construction materials and operations, building design guidelines and management skills.
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6. University of Oklahoma
- 660 Parrington Oval, Norman, OK 73019-0390
- Tuition: $4,655 for Residents; $12,939 for Non-Residents
Construction science students have interests in designing, planning, management, decision and management. This program helps graduates harmonize builders, machinery and materials to guarantee projects that meet deadlines and stay under budget.
7. Michigan Technological University
- 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI-49931
- Tuition: $33,278 Michigan Residents; $55,238 Non-Michigan Residents
This B.S. construction management program has accreditation from the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE). Courses include accounting, best business practices and scheduling assignments.
Work with small classrooms for better mentoring and individualized attention.
8. University of Colorado – Denver
- 1201 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80204
- Tuition: $11,502 Resident; $28, 830 Non-Resident
Earn your construction management degree or minor from this university’s Construction Engineering and Management (CEM) department. Students gain industry knowledge from advisory boards, guest speakers, field trips, student clubs, internships and more.
9. Dordt University
- 700 7th Street NE Sioux Center, IA 51250
- Tuition: $47,390
Take this Christian university’s program to take charge of projects and see them through. You’ll also obtain numerous internship opportunities. Some careers to earn with this construction management degree include field engineer, site engineer and more.
10. John Brown University
- 2000 W. University St., Siloam Springs, AR 72761
- Tuition: $29, 488
Earn your construction management degree with this Christian university’s program construction software proficiency to design, assign, estimate and supervise projects. Learn from full-time and adjunct faculty with overall construction experience.
Honorable Mentions
Here are 11 more noteworthy colleges to earn your construction management degree from:
- Metropolitan State University of Denver
- Mississippi State University
- Ohio Northern University
- Appalachian State University
- Milwaukee School of Engineering
- Wentworth Institute of Technology
- University of Central Missouri
- California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo
- Drexel University
- Brigham Young University – Provo
- Arapahoe Community College
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How Much Will This Degree Cost?
Numerous factors affect a college’s tuition. Do you want to attend a four-year university? Do you want to enroll in a private or a public college? Are you considering in-state or out-of-state options?
Let’s review some of these critical considerations in more detail and evaluate how much it costs to earn a construction management degree.
Public vs. Private
On the whole, public schools cost less than their private counterparts. Public institutions have a diverse student population, allowing you to learn about different perspectives and backgrounds.
Private colleges, on the other hand, require more tuition but offer smaller, more intimate class sizes to facilitate learning.
Moreover, private education can provide a far more tailored and focused curriculum in your preferred field of study but can make it more difficult to transfer credits should you wish to change programs or schools.
Online vs. In-Person
In the case of in-person and online classes, each has pros and cons. Some schools allow you to learn asynchronously, letting you complete coursework on your schedule to continue working on the job site, gaining experience and collecting a paycheck.
Online programs also allow for a more flexible lifestyle than traditional in-person learning. You can watch lectures and complete assignments when it’s best for you. There’s also less commute stress because you can learn virtually anywhere.
Online courses also allow you to connect with students of different backgrounds in national or global areas for broader diversity. However, some online programs require occasional in-person classes or training sessions.
In-person courses can also provide an ideal environment. Face-to-face interaction can improve your network, help you make new friends and gain professional mentors to advance your career outlook after graduation.
In-State vs. Out-Of-State
As you can see from most of our top college picks that in-state students pay significantly less than out-of-state students. Attending an in-state college can save you thousands of dollars. You can also save on excess fuel and other travel expenses.
However, the schools in your home state may not have the same prestige or networking opportunities as those in other states. Before committing to a university, research if out-of-state tuition assistance programs exist to help reduce tuition costs.
There are other options to avoid these expensive tuition fees:
- Applying for tuition reciprocity agreements
- Using federal student aid
- Applying for external scholarships
- And more!
Expenses Beyond Tuition
Though tuition most significantly impacts the price of a construction management degree, other overall cost factors include:
- Housing, food, fuel and other cost-of-living expenses.
- Prevalence or lack of public transportation.
- Books, supplies and other classroom expenditures.
- Employment opportunities both on and off campus.
Also, when shortlisting universities, research possible financial aid packages. These bundles can include institutional or third-party tuition assistance programs, scholarships, grants and student loan options.
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Career Options
Earning this degree type opens the door to several career paths, from project engineers to managers, inspectors and more.
Project Engineer
- Average Salary: $82,020
Project engineers plan, forecast, schedule and manage a construction project’s technical and engineering tasks from beginning to end.
This position keeps projects on schedule, performs ongoing progress reports and acquires the right staff, materials and equipment. They also find the ideal answers to troubleshoot arising issues.
Estimator
- Average Salary: $82,414
Construction estimators provide financial quotes and forecasts for specific projects. They typically have experience in engineering and architecture so that they can determine particular building materials for each project.
Estimators typically work closely with engineers, architects, vendors and more for commercial or residential customers.
Construction Inspector
- Average Salary: $41,964
A construction inspector evaluates streets, highways and buildings to confirm that they meet building codes and regulations.
An inspector ensures your buildings are safe. Without inspectors, buildings, highways and other structures could pose hazards.
Like the Three Little Pigs story, the straw and stick houses didn’t match the big bad wolf’s powerful lungs. The third pig could have had inspector qualities because he built his house of bricks to avoid predators.
Other Careers
- Scheduler: $75,630 average U.S. salary
- Facility Manager: $78,516 average U.S. salary
- Quality Control Manager: $87,551 average U.S. salary
- Superintendent: $80,402 average U.S. salary
- Project Coordinator: $54,276 average U.S. salary
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Primary Benefits
There are several advantages to earning a construction management degree, including job stability, competitive salary and leadership skill improvements.
Better Job Stability
Everyone needs new construction or renovation projects for commercial or residential areas. This profession has jobs to last a lifetime because everyone needs secure buildings to work or reside in.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics thinks construction is a stable and lucrative profession. These are the industries with the highest construction management employment rates:
- Nonresidential Building Construction ~76,000 employees
- Residential Building Construction ~52,000 employees
- Building Equipment Contractors ~35,000 employees
You can even start your own business and get hired as an independent contractor.
Robust Work Flexibility and Autonomy
Dealing with a career in construction management means you know how to take charge and run a smooth ship to finish projects promptly. In other words, you know how to supervise people and meet project deadlines.
You also have an entrepreneurial spirit with drive, curiosity and creativity to start and finish projects. Like entrepreneurs, construction managers can also set flexible working schedules that meet their needs.
Competitive Salaries
Those with construction management degrees make high-end salaries. However, like most professions, you’ll have to gain more experience to receive higher profits.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics gives a rundown of salaries for numerous construction manager industries:
- Nonresidential Building Construction: $117,480 average mean wage
- Residential Building Construction: $98,230 average mean wage
- Foundation, Structure and Building Exterior Contractors: $104,220 average mean wage
Refined Leadership Skills
Managing others, making vital decisions and leading a team to success are the essential skills of an effective construction manager. This degree helps you learn different practices and how to work with different personalities to complete a goal.
Leading others takes time and confidence. If you lack self-confidence, it’ll be mighty tricky managing others. You have to know there’s a leader inside you, and obtaining this degree means pulling that leader out of you.
If you have doubts or lack self-esteem, a construction management degree isn’t your best career path.
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Next Steps
It’s not a cakewalk traveling toward a construction management degree. This education can provide job stability, fruitful profits and a sense of work flexibility. However, you need a leadership mentality and motivation to lead others to success in creating safe structures.
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