Best Civil Engineering Programs in Pennsylvania (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 10 Civil Engineering programs in Pennsylvania by median earnings of Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. Carnegie Mellon University leads the list at $105,199, followed by Bucknell University at $95,693 and Lehigh University at $91,856.
Across the listed programs, median earnings range from $105,199 to $65,238, with a median of $81,978. For 1 of the 10 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 3 public and 7 private nonprofit institutions. Carnegie Mellon University ranks 106th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and Widener University posts the lowest average net price at $25,759.
Temple University reports the highest admission rate, admitting 80% of applicants.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA | $105,199 | $31,944 | $9,097 | 11.7% |
| Carnegie Mellon University reports $105,199 in median earnings for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 12%. | |||||
| 2 | Bucknell University · Lewisburg, PA | $95,693 | $40,766 | $20,980 | 28.9% |
| Bucknell University admits 29% of applicants and its Civil Engineering completers who borrowed left with a median of $27,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 3 | Lehigh University · Bethlehem, PA | $91,856 | $36,931 | $16,917 | 25.9% |
| Lehigh University ranks 3rd on this list, with median earnings of $91,856 for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Drexel University · Philadelphia, PA | $84,992 | $38,509 | $28,055 | 79.4% |
| Drexel University posts an average net price of $38,509 and its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing earned a median of $84,992. | |||||
| 5 | Temple University · Philadelphia, PA | $82,553 | $28,198 | $22,694 | 80.4% |
| Temple University, a public university in Philadelphia, reports median federal debt of $25,872 among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 6 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $81,403 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus shows a cohort of 149 graduates in the earnings cohort and median earnings of $81,403 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Villanova University · Villanova, PA | $81,038 | $43,756 | $17,823 | 27.0% |
| Villanova University reports an average net price of $43,756 and an admission rate of 27%. | |||||
| 8 | Widener University · Chester, PA | $80,117 | $25,759 | $21,200 | 70.9% |
| Widener University ranks 8th on this list, with median earnings of $80,117 for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus · Pittsburgh, PA | $77,608 | $30,434 | $14,709 | 58.1% |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus reports median federal debt of $27,000 among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed and an admission rate of 58%. | |||||
| 10 | Lafayette College · Easton, PA | $65,238 | $34,433 | $12,716 | 31.5% |
| Lafayette College posts an average net price of $34,433 and its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing earned a median of $65,238. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in Pennsylvania appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. For 1 of the 10 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. Carnegie Mellon University leads Bucknell University by $9,506, and the spread from top to bottom is $39,961, with medians ranging from $105,199 to $65,238.
Job market context in Pennsylvania
The occupations linked to Civil Engineering in Pennsylvania include such roles as Civil Engineers and Engineers, All Other. The median annual wage across those occupations is $100,761, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $78,437. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 3.7% higher, with 1,800 projected openings a year and about 245 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. These market figures describe the occupations, not the earnings of any listed program's graduates; the ranking above uses the median earnings of Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing.