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# Best Civil Engineering Programs in the United States (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in the United States](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges/)

This page ranks 223 Civil Engineering programs in the United States by median earnings of Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. [University of California-Berkeley](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/majors/) leads the list with median earnings of $108,548 four years after completing.

Across the listed schools, the figure ranges from $108,548 to $47,260, with a median of $85,053. For 10 of the 223 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

Public institutions account for 166 of the listed programs and private nonprofits for 57. CUNY City College posts the lowest average net price on the page, at $3,776.

University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

Top 25 of 223 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $108,548 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
|  | [University of California-Berkeley](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/majors/) reports [median earnings of $108,548](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 106 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 2 | The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art · New York, NY | $108,466 | $13,269 | $3,749 | 20.7% |
|  | [The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/majors/) ranks 2nd on this list, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $15,000](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/outcomes/) in federal loans. |
| 3 | Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY | $108,246 | $21,590 | $4,570 | 4.0% |
|  | [Columbia University in the City of New York](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/majors/) [admits 4% of applicants](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/admissions/) and its Civil Engineering graduates earned a median of $108,246 four years after completing. |
| 4 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $106,308 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
|  | [University of Southern California](/school/university-of-southern-california/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $8,125](/school/university-of-southern-california/cost/) among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $106,308 four years after completing. |
| 5 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $105,594 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
|  | [Santa Clara University](/school/santa-clara-university/majors/) posts an [average net price of $50,062,](/school/santa-clara-university/cost/) while its Civil Engineering graduates earned a median of $105,594 four years after completing. |
| 6 | Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA | $105,199 | $31,944 | $9,097 | 11.7% |
|  | [Carnegie Mellon University](/school/carnegie-mellon-university/majors/) [ranks 106th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/carnegie-mellon-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Civil Engineering graduates earned a median of $105,199 four years after completing. |
| 7 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $103,223 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
|  | [Loyola Marymount University](/school/loyola-marymount-university/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $27,000](/school/loyola-marymount-university/cost/) among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $103,223 four years after completing. |
| 8 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $101,072 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
|  | [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/majors/) reports [median earnings of $101,072](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 130 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 9 | George Washington University · Washington, DC | $100,990 | $36,586 | $17,440 | 47.1% |
|  | [George Washington University](/school/george-washington-university/majors/) [admits 47% of applicants](/school/george-washington-university/admissions/) and its Civil Engineering graduates earned a median of $100,990 four years after completing. |
| 10 | Northeastern University · Boston, MA | $100,613 | $30,915 | $2,264 | 5.2% |
|  | [Northeastern University](/school/northeastern-university/majors/) ranks 10th on this list, and its Civil Engineering completers who borrowed left with a [median federal debt of $24,750](/school/northeastern-university/cost/). |
| 11 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $97,790 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
|  | [California State Polytechnic University-Pomona](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/majors/) posts an [average net price of $11,531,](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/cost/) while its Civil Engineering graduates earned a median of $97,790 four years after completing. |
| 12 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $97,123 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
|  | Ranks 12th on this list, and [California State University-Northridge](/school/california-state-university-northridge/majors/) reports [median earnings of $97,123](/school/california-state-university-northridge/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 13 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $97,092 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
|  | [University of California-Los Angeles](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/majors/) reports [median earnings of $97,092](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $12,548. |
| 14 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $96,354 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
|  | With an [admission rate of 29%](/school/university-of-california-irvine/admissions/), [University of California-Irvine](/school/university-of-california-irvine/majors/) shows median federal debt of $17,816 among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed. |
| 15 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $95,939 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
|  | [University of California-Davis](/school/university-of-california-davis/majors/) ranks 15th on this list and posts an [average net price of $9,211](/school/university-of-california-davis/cost/) for families earning under $30,000. |
| 16 | Manhattan University · Riverdale, NY | $95,877 | $27,256 | $27,281 | 78.9% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in Riverdale, [Manhattan University](/school/manhattan-university/majors/) shows [median earnings of $95,877](/school/manhattan-university/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 17 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $95,865 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
|  | [San Diego State University](/school/san-diego-state-university/majors/) [ranks 36th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/san-diego-state-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an earnings cohort of 227 graduates. |
| 18 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $95,854 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
|  | [California State University-Fullerton](/school/california-state-university-fullerton/majors/) carries an [average net price of $6,555](/school/california-state-university-fullerton/cost/) and its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing earn a median of $95,854. |
| 19 | Bucknell University · Lewisburg, PA | $95,693 | $40,766 | $20,980 | 28.9% |
|  | [Bucknell University](/school/bucknell-university/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $27,000](/school/bucknell-university/cost/) among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed, with an admission rate of 29%. |
| 20 | 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/) ranks 20th on this list and its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing earn a [median of $95,271](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/outcomes/). |
| 21 | University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO | $94,960 | $25,346 | $14,231 | 78.1% |
|  | [University of Colorado Boulder](/school/university-of-colorado-boulder/majors/) [admits 78% of applicants](/school/university-of-colorado-boulder/admissions/) and reports an average net price of $14,231 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 22 | New York University · New York, NY | $94,867 | $37,050 | $16,977 | 9.2% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in New York, [New York University](/school/new-york-university/majors/) shows [median earnings of $94,867](/school/new-york-university/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 23 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $94,760 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
|  | [California State University-Los Angeles](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/majors/) [ranks 3rd on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and carries an average net price of $3,967. |
| 24 | Colorado School of Mines · Golden, CO | $94,228 | $28,690 | $16,849 | 60.7% |
|  | [Colorado School of Mines](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $23,402](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/cost/) among Civil Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside an earnings cohort of 81 graduates. |
| 25 | The College of New Jersey · Ewing, NJ | $93,977 | $27,646 | $7,908 | 62.3% |
|  | [The College of New Jersey](/school/the-college-of-new-jersey/majors/) ranks 25th on this list with [median earnings of $93,977](/school/the-college-of-new-jersey/outcomes/) for its Civil Engineering graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $27,646. |

Continue by region[Best Civil Engineering Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-civil-engineering-programs-in-the-midwest/)[Best Civil Engineering Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-civil-engineering-programs-in-the-northeast/)[Best Civil Engineering Programs in the South](/rankings/best-civil-engineering-programs-in-the-south/)[Best Civil Engineering Programs in the West](/rankings/best-civil-engineering-programs-in-the-west/)

## 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 the United States appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 10 of the 223 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 gap between University of California-Berkeley and The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is just $82, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $61,288.

## Job market context in the United States

The Bureau of Labor Statistics links Civil Engineering to occupations such as Civil Engineers and Engineers, All Other. Across those occupations in the United States, the median annual wage is $107,698; a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $84,758. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 4.0% higher, with about 322 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the occupation-wide wage figures shown here.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Engineering Colleges in the United States](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges/)
-   Engineering Colleges for Social Mobility