# Civil Engineering

> A program that generally prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of structural, load-bearing, material moving, transportation, water resource, and material control systems; and environmental safety measures.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/civil-engineering
- CIP code: 14.08 (Engineering)
- Colleges offering it: 300 at its most common degree level
- Value ranking: https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/civil-engineering

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 14 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Associate's | 25 | not reported | $70,850 | not reported |
| Bachelor's | 300 | $72,713 | $85,115 | $21,500 |
| Master's | 199 | $84,951 | $96,805 | $30,958 |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Doctoral | 138 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| First professional | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 47 | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [University of California-Berkeley](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Berkeley, CA | $108,548 | $11,634 |
| [Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art-704) | New York, NY | $108,466 | not reported |
| [Columbia University in the City of New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york-656) | New York, NY | $108,246 | not reported |
| [University of Southern California](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-southern-california-usc-3050) | Los Angeles, CA | $106,308 | $18,817 |
| [Santa Clara University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/santa-clara-university-2371) | Santa Clara, CA | $105,594 | $21,500 |
| [Carnegie Mellon University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/carnegie-mellon-university-406) | Pittsburgh, PA | $105,199 | $21,000 |
| [Loyola Marymount University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/loyola-marymount-university-1550) | Los Angeles, CA | $103,223 | not reported |
| [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo-slo-360) | San Luis Obispo, CA | $101,072 | $16,667 |
| [George Washington University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/george-washington-university-1066) | Washington, DC | $100,990 | not reported |
| [Northeastern University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/northeastern-university-1923) | Boston, MA | $100,613 | $19,500 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Architectural and Engineering Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/architectural-and-engineering-managers): $171,270 median pay
- [Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/biofuels-biodiesel-technology-and-product-development-managers): $171,270 median pay
- [Petroleum Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/petroleum-engineers): $144,910 median pay
- [Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/energy-engineers-except-wind-and-solar): $122,930 median pay
- [Engineers, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/engineers-all-other): $122,930 median pay
- [Mechatronics Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mechatronics-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Microsystems Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/microsystems-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Nanosystems Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nanosystems-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Photonics Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/photonics-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Robotics Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/robotics-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Solar Energy Systems Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/solar-energy-systems-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Wind Energy Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/wind-energy-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/engineering-teachers-postsecondary): $109,270 median pay
- [Environmental Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/environmental-engineers): $107,110 median pay
- [Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mining-and-geological-engineers-including-mining-safety-engineers): $106,220 median pay
- [Civil Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/civil-engineers): $100,840 median pay
- [Transportation Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/transportation-engineers): $100,840 median pay
- [Water/Wastewater Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/water-wastewater-engineers): $100,840 median pay

## More in Engineering

- [Engineering, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/engineering-general): 452 colleges
- [Mechanical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/mechanical-engineering): 395 colleges
- [Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/electrical-electronics-and-communications-engineering): 387 colleges
- [Computer Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/computer-engineering): 367 colleges
- [Biomedical/Medical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/biomedical-medical-engineering): 200 colleges
- [Chemical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/chemical-engineering): 182 colleges
- [Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/environmental-environmental-health-engineering): 130 colleges
- [Industrial Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/industrial-engineering): 128 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/