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# Best Civil Engineering Programs in Texas (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in Texas](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-texas/)

This page ranks the 16 Civil Engineering programs in Texas by the median earnings of Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. [The University of Texas at Austin](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) leads the list at $95,271, followed by [Texas A&M University-College Station](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/) at $92,433 and [Texas Tech University](/school/texas-tech-university/majors/) at $89,969.

The listed programs span from $95,271 down to $71,595, with a median of $84,124.

Public institutions account for 13 of the 16 programs, or 81%. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley posts the lowest average net price on the page at $4,831.

The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 8th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

16 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $95,271 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
|  | [The University of Texas at Austin](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) reports [median earnings of $95,271](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $92,433 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
|  | [Texas A&M University-College Station](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/) [admits 57% of applicants](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/admissions/) and its Civil Engineering graduates earn a median of $92,433 four years after completing. |
| 3 | Texas Tech University · Lubbock, TX | $89,969 | $19,070 | $12,457 | 72.7% |
|  | With an [average net price of $19,070,](/school/texas-tech-university/cost/) [Texas Tech University](/school/texas-tech-university/majors/) posts median earnings of $89,969 for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 4 | University of Houston · Houston, TX | $89,653 | $14,276 | $10,929 | 73.9% |
|  | [University of Houston](/school/university-of-houston/majors/) carries an [average net price of $14,276](/school/university-of-houston/cost/) and its Civil Engineering graduates earn a median of $89,653 four years after completing. |
| 5 | Lamar University · Beaumont, TX | $89,250 | $9,366 | $7,568 | 86.4% |
|  | [Lamar University](/school/lamar-university/majors/) posts [median earnings of $89,250](/school/lamar-university/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside a school-wide median federal debt of $21,250 across all borrowers who completed. |
| 6 | The University of Texas at Tyler · Tyler, TX | $88,102 | $13,323 | $10,307 | 94.0% |
|  | [The University of Texas at Tyler](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-tyler/majors/) reports a [median of $88,102](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-tyler/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 54 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 7 | The University of Texas at Arlington · Arlington, TX | $86,844 | $13,951 | $11,893 | 79.9% |
|  | [The University of Texas at Arlington](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-arlington/majors/) holds an [Azimuth composite rank of 8th](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-arlington/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and its Civil Engineering graduates earn a median of $86,844 four years after completing. |
| 8 | The University of Texas at San Antonio · San Antonio, TX | $84,166 | $10,836 | $7,870 | 86.8% |
|  | [The University of Texas at San Antonio](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/majors/) reports [median earnings of $84,166](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, and a median federal debt of $25,370 among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed. |
| 9 | Prairie View A & M University · Prairie View, TX | $84,082 | $13,570 | $12,120 | 79.3% |
|  | [Prairie View A & M University](/school/prairie-view-a-m-university/majors/) shows [median earnings of $84,082](/school/prairie-view-a-m-university/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, with a school-wide median federal debt of $27,000 across all borrowers who completed. |
| 10 | LeTourneau University · Longview, TX | $81,065 | $28,185 | $22,785 | 38.0% |
|  | LeTourneau University, a private nonprofit university in Longview, reports median earnings of $81,065 for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 11 | The University of Texas at El Paso · El Paso, TX | $75,882 | $9,403 | $7,863 | 99.9% |
|  | [The University of Texas at El Paso](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-el-paso/majors/) [admits 100% of applicants](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-el-paso/admissions/) and its Civil Engineering graduates earn a median of $75,882 four years after completing. |
| 12 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville · Kingsville, TX | $75,033 | $12,090 | $10,207 | 90.9% |
|  | [Texas A&M University-Kingsville](/school/texas-am-university-kingsville/majors/) reports [median earnings of $75,033](/school/texas-am-university-kingsville/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $12,090. |
| 13 | Southern Methodist University · Dallas, TX | $73,737 | $40,892 | $23,544 | 63.4% |
|  | [Southern Methodist University](/school/southern-methodist-university/majors/), a private nonprofit university in Dallas, [admits 63% of applicants](/school/southern-methodist-university/admissions/) and reports an average net price of $40,892. |
| 14 | Rice University · Houston, TX | $71,957 | $13,370 | $5,827 | 8.0% |
|  | [Rice University](/school/rice-university/majors/) ranks 14th on this list, with [median earnings of $71,957](/school/rice-university/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 15 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · Edinburg, TX | $71,848 | $4,831 | $3,785 | 94.2% |
|  | [The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley](/school/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley/majors/) posts an [average net price of $4,831](/school/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley/cost/) and a median federal debt of $11,000 among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed. |
| 16 | Texas Southern University · Houston, TX | $71,595 | $16,590 | $16,437 | 96.9% |
|  | [Texas Southern University](/school/texas-southern-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $71,595](/school/texas-southern-university/outcomes/) four years after completing and a school-wide median federal debt of $29,000 across all of its borrowers who completed. |

## 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 Texas appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 2 of the 16 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. The range and median below cover the 16 schools with a published figure. The University of Texas at Austin leads Texas A&M University-College Station by $2,838, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom is $23,676.

## Job market context in Texas

Civil Engineering graduates in Texas link to occupations such as Civil Engineers and Engineers, All Other. The median annual wage across those occupations is $100,933, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $80,678. State projections show about 4,600 openings a year, or roughly 414 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 12.9% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings after completing; the market figures describe the broader occupations, and the two are not the same measure.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Civil Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-civil-engineering-programs/)
-   [Best Civil Engineering Programs in Florida](/rankings/best-civil-engineering-programs-in-florida/)
-   [Best Civil Engineering Programs in California](/rankings/best-civil-engineering-programs-in-california/)
-   [Best Civil Engineering Programs in Pennsylvania](/rankings/best-civil-engineering-programs-in-pennsylvania/)
-   [Best Civil Engineering Programs in Ohio](/rankings/best-civil-engineering-programs-in-ohio/)
-   [Best Engineering Colleges in Texas](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-texas/)
-   [Best Engineering Colleges for Social Mobility in Texas](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-for-social-mobility-in-texas/)