USA · Colleges · Programs

Heavy equipment operator: where to study

Every U.S. school that awarded this program (Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation) in 2023-24, certificate to doctorate. A complete list, not a ranking.

Schools54

NCES IPEDS

IPEDS Completions, 2023-24 (complete data file C2024_A)National Center for Education Statistics

Checked: 21 Oct 2026

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States and territories26

Certificates · degrees to master's1,032 · 93Awarded 2023-24, first majors

Doctorates awarded0Research, professional and other

Find a school The Heavy equipment operator career page Registered Apprenticeship

Find a school

Filter by state, program, award level and type of school. Each result links to the school's College Navigator profile (costs, admissions, graduation rates) and its own site.

State Award level Type of school School name

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Programs that lead to this career

The NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk links SOC 47-2073 to this program. Awards in 2023-24, all levels, first majors. 1 more linked program had no awards at an operating school that year.

NCES

CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 CrosswalkNational Center for Education Statistics

Checked: 21 Oct 2026

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Program	CIP code	Awards
Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation	49.0202	1,125

By award level: (awards, not schools).

Largest programs by awards

Size tells you where many students study, not which program is best for you.

School	Location	Type	Awards
Community College of Allegheny County	Pittsburgh, PA	2-year · Public	101
Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College	Minden, LA	2-year · Public	99
Ivy Tech Community College	Indianapolis, IN	2-year · Public	73
State Technical College of Missouri	Linn, MO	2-year · Public	57
Butte College	Oroville, CA	2-year · Public	53
Central Lakes College-Brainerd	Brainerd, MN	2-year · Public	48
Bridgerland Technical College	Logan, UT	Under 2-year · Public	37
Utah State University	Logan, UT	4-year · Public	37
Central Arizona College	Coolidge, AZ	4-year · Public	34
SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	Alfred, NY	4-year · Public	33

Schools in each state

How many schools in each state awarded one of these programs in 2023-24. Each state page lists all of its schools with cost and completion.

Registered Apprenticeship

A Registered Apprenticeship Program is a model of apprenticeship validated by the Department of Labor or a State Apprenticeship Agency

USDOL

What is a Registered Apprenticeship Program?U.S. Department of Labor (Apprenticeship.gov)

Checked: 21 Oct 2026

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. The U.S. Department of Labor lists 4 apprenticeship occupations as approved for Registered Apprenticeship under this career's SOC code. Terms are hours of on-the-job learning as DOL lists them.

USDOL

Approved occupations for Registered Apprenticeship (spreadsheet: RAPIDS code, type, minimum term)U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship (Apprenticeship.gov)

Checked: 21 Oct 2026

Linked from apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-occupations. Term lengths are hours of on-the-job learning; time-based programs list one figure, hybrid programs a range.

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Apprenticeship occupation (DOL title)	RAPIDS code	O*NET occupation	Term (hours)
ELEVATING-GRADER OPERATOR	0138	Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073.00)	Hybrid 4000–5000 Time-Based 4000
MOTOR-GRADER OPERATOR	0932	Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073.00)	Time-Based 6000 Hybrid 6000–7500
Operating Engineer	0365	Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073.00)	Hybrid 4000–6000
OPERATING ENGINEER (Alternate Title: Heavy Construction Equipment Mechanic)	0365	Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073.00)	Time-Based 6000

Search open apprenticeship jobs on Apprenticeship.gov · What a Registered Apprenticeship is

About this list

Programs: the career's SOC code(s) in the NCES CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Schools and awards: NCES IPEDS C2024_A (2023-24, first majors), limited to schools that the College Scorecard file of 15 Oct 2026 lists as operating and approved for federal aid (U.S. territories included). It shows which schools award a program, not accreditation, quality or admission chances: check program accreditation with the accreditor and the school with DAPIP. Some careers need a state license; see the career page.

Sources

Where these facts come from

Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.

IPEDS Completions, 2023-24 (complete data file C2024_A) · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-21
CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-21
College Scorecard data, Most Recent Institution-Level file (release of 15 Oct 2026) · U.S. Department of Education checked 2026-10-21
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020, code file · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-21
Approved occupations for Registered Apprenticeship (spreadsheet: RAPIDS code, type, minimum term) · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship (Apprenticeship.gov) checked 2026-10-21
College Navigator · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-07