Civil Engineering: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Civil Engineering graduates earn a median $86,517 four years after finishing — $38,157/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,902/yr net price ($67,608 over four years), that pays back in about 1.8 years. Federal data pools 296 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 14,658 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Civil Engineering ranks #32 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 85% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $108,548 |
| 2 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $108,246 |
| 3 | University of Southern California | CA | $106,308 |
| 4 | Santa Clara University | CA | $105,594 |
| 5 | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | $105,199 |
| 6 | Loyola Marymount University | CA | $103,223 |
| 7 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | $101,072 |
| 8 | George Washington University | DC | $100,990 |
| 9 | Northeastern University | MA | $100,613 |
| 10 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | CA | $97,790 |
| 11 | California State University-Northridge | CA | $97,123 |
| 12 | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $97,092 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.
How fast does Civil Engineering pay grow after graduation?
From $67,966 one year out to $86,517 four years out — a $18,551 climb, or 27% over three years. Both are federal medians of the same graduating cohorts, so the gap reflects real wage progression rather than a change in who is measured.
How many students graduate in Civil Engineering each year?
About 14,658 bachelor's graduates a year across 296 programs in the federal file. Cohort size matters when reading the median: a field this size averages across a wide range of employers, regions and job titles.