Civil Engineering graduates earn an average annual wage of $136,006, making it one of the higher-paying degree fields. With 69,280 professionals in the field earning competitive wages, this degree offers strong career prospects.

Key Statistics

20,005
Total Degrees Awarded (2023)
Not reported in dataset
$10,018
Median In-State Public Tuition
Not reported in dataset
$48,421
Median Out-of-State Private Tuition
Not reported in dataset
$136,006
Average Wage
Not reported in dataset
69,280
People in Workforce
Not reported in dataset
N/A
Average Employee Age
Not reported in dataset

Institutions

Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Civil Engineering and the types of students that study this field.

Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

$10,018 Median In-State Public

$48,421 Median Out of State Private

Tuition costs for Civil Engineering majors are, on average, $10,018 for in-state public colleges, and $48,421 for out of state private colleges.

Tuition costs comparison for Civil Engineering programs.

Degrees Awarded Over Time

20,005 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023

This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Civil Engineering from 2015 to 2023.

Historical trend of degrees awarded in Civil Engineering.

Top 5 Schools by Enrollment

Schools with the largest enrollment offering Civil Engineering programs.

Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition

Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Civil Engineering programs.

Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price

# School State Net Price
1 CUNY City College NY $3,486
2 Central Piedmont Community College NC $3,660
3 California State University-Los Angeles CA $4,113
4 El Paso Community College TX $4,154
5 Palo Alto College TX $4,374

Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for Civil Engineering programs.

Graduation Rates

56.95% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)

57.64% Average Graduation Rate

144 Institutions Reporting

43.28% - 72.24% Interquartile Range

Graduation/completion rates for Civil Engineering programs across institutions.

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Civil Engineering graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.

Yearly Income for Common Jobs

$136,006 Average Wage in Workforce

The average salary for Civil Engineering majors is $136,006.

Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Civil Engineering majors.

Occupations by Share

69,280 2023 Workforce

The number of Civil Engineering graduates in the workforce has been growing.

Various jobs filled by those with a major in Civil Engineering by share of the total number of graduates.

Return on Investment & Value

Financial analysis of Civil Engineering degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.

Financial Value Analysis

ROI data is not available for this degree program.

Financial value comparison for Civil Engineering degree.

Diversity

Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Civil Engineering in the United States.

Workforce Age

N/A Average Age in 2023

This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Civil Engineering.

Age distribution for Civil Engineering degree holders in the workforce.

Gender Distribution

Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.

Gender distribution of Civil Engineering degree recipients.

Race and Ethnicity Distribution

Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.

Racial and ethnic distribution of Civil Engineering degree recipients.

Degrees Awarded

The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Civil Engineering are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.

Distribution of degree types awarded in Civil Engineering.

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Civil Engineering field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Required Skills

Civil Engineering majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.

Rating of how necessary various skills are for Civil Engineering majors.

Skills Bar Chart

This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.

Skill importance ratings for Civil Engineering majors.

About

Civil Engineering

In 2023, 20,005 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Civil Engineering.

CIP Code

00.1408 - Civil Engineering

Insights and Analysis

High Earning Potential: Civil Engineering graduates earn an average annual wage of $136,006, placing them among the top earners in the workforce. This strong earning potential reflects both the demand for skills in this field and the value employers place on this degree.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.

All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.