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Best Schools for Civil Engineering

Civil Engineering graduates earn a median of $60,166 within two years of graduation, ranking #29 out of 292 tracked majors — 69% above the median across all fields. There are 225 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 13,250 recent graduates.

Where you study matters: Santa Clara University graduates earn $79,473 while Caribbean University-Ponce graduates earn $21,964 — a $57,509 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap.

Early career salary growth is modest: Civil Engineering graduates see an average 0% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.

225
Schools
$60,166
Avg. 2yr Earnings
#29
of 292 Majors
13,250
Graduates

Public vs Private: Civil Engineering

Public (167 schools)
$59,809
avg. 2yr earnings
Private (53 schools)
$64,113
avg. 2yr earnings

Private schools produce $4,304 more in early earnings on average for Civil Engineering graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.

Civil Engineering by State

California
22 schools
$66,328
Texas
15 schools
$61,075
Pennsylvania
10 schools
$62,828
Florida
10 schools
$54,063
Ohio
10 schools
$59,617
New York
9 schools
$65,927
Connecticut
8 schools
$65,218
Indiana
7 schools
$59,623

Top Civil Engineering Schools by Graduate Earnings

#1
S

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA · Private

$79,473
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 43.8%
#2
S

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA · Public

$74,845
2yr Earnings
1yr: $70,515
Grads: 55
Acceptance: 80.2%
#3
S

Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, NJ · Private

$74,702
2yr Earnings
1yr: $69,771
Grads: 36
Acceptance: 43.4%
#4
U

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$74,576
2yr Earnings
1yr: $75,576
Grads: 25
Acceptance: 10.0%
#5
G

George Washington University

Washington, DC · Private

$74,307
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 43.5%
#6
S

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX · Private

$73,737
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 61.2%
#7
C

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY · Private

$73,321
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,621
Grads: 22
Acceptance: 8.2%
#8
C

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA · Public

$72,645
2yr Earnings
1yr: $72,381
Grads: 132
Acceptance: 29.8%
#9
R

Rice University

Houston, TX · Private

$71,957
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 7.9%
#10
U

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA · Public

$71,351
2yr Earnings
1yr: $69,327
Grads: 51
Acceptance: 11.7%
#11
M

Manhattan University

Riverdale, NY · Private

$71,351
2yr Earnings
1yr: $68,261
Grads: 100
Acceptance: 78.5%
#12
U

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN · Private

$70,680
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,169
Grads: 35
Acceptance: 12.4%
#13
C

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA · Private

$70,009
2yr Earnings
1yr: $61,278
Grads: 27
Acceptance: 73.6%
#14
C

California State University-Chico

Chico, CA · Public

$69,617
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,761
Grads: 67
Acceptance: 93.7%
#15
U

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA · Private

$68,778
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 94.9%
#16
U

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA · Public

$68,666
2yr Earnings
1yr: $70,229
Grads: 42
Acceptance: 16.9%
#17
U

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA · Public

$68,592
2yr Earnings
1yr: $62,929
Grads: 44
Acceptance: 8.7%
#18
R

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY · Private

$68,047
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,648
Grads: 34
Acceptance: 58.5%
#19
L

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$67,995
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,573
Grads: 27
Acceptance: 40.3%
#20
O

Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR · Public

$67,660
2yr Earnings
1yr: $58,292
Grads: 23
Acceptance: 91.7%
#21
L

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA · Private

$67,660
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,220
Grads: 31
Acceptance: 29.3%
#22
U

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA · Public

$67,516
2yr Earnings
1yr: $64,244
Grads: 157
Acceptance: 41.6%
#23
U

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI · Public

$67,450
2yr Earnings
1yr: $66,167
Grads: 104
Acceptance: 43.4%
#24
U

University of Maryland-College Park

College Park, MD · Public

$67,420
2yr Earnings
1yr: $64,651
Grads: 107
Acceptance: 44.8%
#25
N

New York University

New York, NY · Private

$67,420
2yr Earnings
1yr: $65,906
Grads: 44
Acceptance: 9.4%
#26
R

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Terre Haute, IN · Private

$67,273
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,466
Grads: 49
Acceptance: 72.8%
#27
T

The Catholic University of America

Washington, DC · Private

$67,101
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,219
Grads: 30
Acceptance: 83.8%
#28
U

University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT · Public

$67,061
2yr Earnings
1yr: $62,972
Grads: 96
Acceptance: 53.9%
#29
U

University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus

Waterbury, CT · Public

$67,061
2yr Earnings
1yr: $62,972
Grads: 96
Acceptance: 87.0%
#30
U

University of Connecticut-Avery Point

Groton, CT · Public

$67,061
2yr Earnings
1yr: $62,972
Grads: 96
Acceptance: 86.5%
#31
U

University of Connecticut-Stamford

Stamford, CT · Public

$67,061
2yr Earnings
1yr: $62,972
Grads: 96
Acceptance: 80.2%
#32
U

University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus

Hartford, CT · Public

$67,061
2yr Earnings
1yr: $62,972
Grads: 96
Acceptance: 86.5%
#33
S

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY · Private

$66,653
2yr Earnings
1yr: $60,439
Grads: 63
Acceptance: 41.7%
#34
S

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA · Public

$66,592
2yr Earnings
1yr: $65,046
Grads: 47
Acceptance: 96.2%
#35
U

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA · Public

$66,342
2yr Earnings
1yr: $65,357
Grads: 89
Acceptance: 42.5%
#36
U

University of Alaska Anchorage

Anchorage, AK · Public

$66,325
2yr Earnings
1yr: $55,504
Grads: 24
Acceptance: 66.5%
#37
N

Northeastern University

Boston, MA · Private

$66,318
2yr Earnings
1yr: $69,279
Grads: 62
Acceptance: 5.7%
#38
T

Texas A&M University-College Station

College Station, TX · Public

$66,094
2yr Earnings
1yr: $65,401
Grads: 170
Acceptance: 63.2%
#39
U

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI · Public

$66,045
2yr Earnings
1yr: $65,294
Grads: 34
Acceptance: 17.9%
#40
B

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA · Private

$65,610
2yr Earnings
1yr: $66,231
Grads: 23
Acceptance: 32.0%
#41
U

University of New Haven

West Haven, CT · Private

$65,486
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 80.5%
#42
V

Villanova University

Villanova, PA · Private

$65,486
2yr Earnings
1yr: $64,237
Grads: 48
Acceptance: 25.1%
#43
U

University of Houston

Houston, TX · Public

$65,457
2yr Earnings
1yr: $65,253
Grads: 57
Acceptance: 69.5%
#44
G

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Atlanta, GA · Public

$65,238
2yr Earnings
1yr: $66,586
Grads: 131
Acceptance: 16.5%
#45
L

Lafayette College

Easton, PA · Private

$65,238
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,033
Grads: 24
Acceptance: 31.5%
#46
U

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL · Public

$65,148
2yr Earnings
1yr: $63,590
Grads: 110
Acceptance: 43.7%
#47
W

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA · Private

$65,131
2yr Earnings
1yr: $66,637
Grads: 85
Acceptance: 85.4%
#48
C

Central Connecticut State University

New Britain, CT · Public

$64,990
2yr Earnings
1yr: $61,480
Grads: 26
Acceptance: 75.5%
#49
V

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN · Private

$64,913
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 6.3%
#50
C

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY · Private

$64,706
2yr Earnings
1yr: $69,428
Grads: 19
Acceptance: 4.2%

Showing top 50 of 225 schools. View all or filter by state above.

Majors with Similar Earnings

Construction Engineering Technologies $64,025 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing $63,951 Engineering, Other $62,778 Engineering Science $62,500 Engineering, General $62,258 Engineering-Related Fields $59,843

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Civil Engineering?
Santa Clara University ranks #1 for Civil Engineering with median graduate earnings of $79,473 within two years. There are 225 schools nationwide offering this major with tracked earnings data.
How much do Civil Engineering graduates earn?
Civil Engineering graduates earn an average of $60,166 within two years of graduation. This is 69% above the median across all majors. Earnings range from $21,964 to $79,473 depending on the school.
How hard is it to get into a top Civil Engineering program?
The average acceptance rate across Civil Engineering programs is 68.8%. The most selective program is at Columbia University in the City of New York with a 4.2% acceptance rate. Competitive programs value strong math/analytical skills and relevant coursework.
Is a public or private school better for Civil Engineering?
Private Civil Engineering programs average $64,113 in early earnings vs $59,809 at public schools. Private schools lead in earnings, but cost significantly more — calculate net price before deciding.

Data updated June 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders.

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