Civil Engineering major

Civil Engineering: courses, careers, and where to study

Civil Engineering applies physics, mechanics, and design to the built environment, roads, bridges, water systems, and buildings, suiting students who want to plan and build public infrastructure.

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Civil Engineering earn a median $86,517 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $73,883 to $101,174 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college

A Civil Engineering major covers structural analysis, geotechnical engineering, transportation systems, water resources and hydraulics, environmental engineering, surveying, and construction management, built on a core of calculus, differential equations, physics, and engineering mechanics (statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials). Most programs are ABET-accredited four-year BS degrees that include extensive labs, CAD and modeling software, and a senior capstone design project.

Because civil engineering work often affects public safety, the field is tied to professional licensure. Graduates typically take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam near graduation, work several years under a licensed engineer, and then sit for the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam to become a Professional Engineer. Many students choose a sub-discipline, structural, geotechnical, transportation, water resources, or environmental, through electives or a graduate degree.

Graduates plan, design, and oversee construction of infrastructure for engineering firms, construction companies, and federal, state, and local agencies. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 5% employment growth for civil engineers from 2024 to 2034.

Academic classification (CIP)

In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Civil Engineering maps to CIP 14.0801, Civil Engineering, General, within the ENGINEERING family. The official definition:

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.

Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov

What credential Civil Engineering is awarded as

Of the 19,687 Civil Engineering credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:

  • Certificate: <1%, 22 credentials.
  • Associate: <1%, 76 credentials.
  • Bachelor's: 68%, 13,459 credentials.
  • Graduate: 31%, 6,130 credentials.

This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 49 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 0 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.

Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.

What you'll study

  • Engineering mechanics: statics, dynamics, and mechanics of materials
  • Structural analysis and design (steel, reinforced concrete, timber)
  • Geotechnical engineering and soil mechanics
  • Transportation engineering and highway design
  • Water resources, hydraulics, and hydrology
  • Environmental engineering and water/wastewater treatment
  • Surveying, CAD, and civil modeling software (e.g., AutoCAD Civil 3D)
  • Construction management, cost estimation, and the senior capstone design project

Typical careers

  • Civil engineers
  • Structural Engineer
  • Geotechnical Engineer
  • Transportation Engineer
  • Water Resources Engineer
  • Construction Project Manager

Typical salary range: BLS, 2024 civil engineers median $99,590Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.

How much do Civil Engineering graduates earn?

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Civil Engineering earn a median $86,517 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $73,883 to $101,174 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).

National median earnings four years after graduating for Civil Engineering, by credential
CredentialNational medianMiddle half of programs
Bachelor's$86,517$73,883 to $101,174
Master's$98,323$84,186 to $116,108

Compare Civil Engineering programs in your state

Highest-earning bachelor's Civil Engineering programs

Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Civil Engineering. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major. Graduate programs over the new federal loan caps.

Related occupations

Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Civil Engineering, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.

Occupations associated with Civil Engineering by the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, with median annual wage, projected annual openings, projected employment change, and the education most entrants typically hold.
OccupationMedian payOpenings / yrProjected changeMost entrants hold
Civil Engineers$99,59023,600+5%Bachelor's degree
Architectural and Engineering Managers$167,74014,500+3.8%Bachelor's degree
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary$106,1204,100+8.1%Doctoral or professional degree

Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 3 of these 3 occupations report a median wage.

“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Civil Engineering does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.

Before you commit to a Civil Engineering major

CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Civil Engineering program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.

Ask the Civil Engineering department

  • Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
  • What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
  • What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
  • Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?

Ask current students & check the curriculum

  • How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
  • What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
  • Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
  • How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Accreditation & licensure: Engineering and some computing programs may hold ABET accreditation, which can matter for professional licensure (the PE path) and for some employers and graduate schools. Check whether the Civil Engineering programs you are considering are accredited for your goals.
Degree level & graduate study: Many Civil Engineering careers are open with a bachelor's degree, but some, such as research, advanced-practice, or licensure-track roles, require a master's or doctorate. Check the typical entry-level education on each linked career page above before assuming a bachelor's is enough.

Find a Civil Engineering program

CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.

Colleges that awarded the most Civil Engineering credentials

Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.

Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.

Search Civil Engineering schools

Where Civil Engineering credentials were awarded

3 states have a distinct enough set of Civil Engineering colleges to be worth its own page.

Civil Engineering by state

Every Civil Engineering program with its own CampusPin page

125 programs in 46 states, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.

Civil Engineering programs in Alabama, 3 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Arizona, 2 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Arkansas, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in California, 16 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Colorado, 2 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Connecticut, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in Delaware, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in Florida, 7 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Georgia, 4 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Hawaii, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in Idaho, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in Illinois, 3 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Indiana, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in Iowa, 2 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Kansas, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in Kentucky, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in Louisiana, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in Maine, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in Maryland, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in Massachusetts, 5 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Michigan, 3 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Minnesota, 2 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Mississippi, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in Missouri, 2 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Montana, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in Nebraska, 2 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Nevada, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in New Hampshire, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in New Jersey, 4 programs
Civil Engineering programs in New York, 6 programs
Civil Engineering programs in North Carolina, 2 programs
Civil Engineering programs in North Dakota, 2 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Ohio, 5 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Oklahoma, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in Oregon, 2 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Pennsylvania, 5 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Rhode Island, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in South Carolina, 3 programs
Civil Engineering programs in South Dakota, 2 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Tennessee, 2 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Texas, 9 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Utah, 3 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Virginia, 4 programs
Civil Engineering programs in Washington, 2 programs
Civil Engineering programs in West Virginia, 1 program
Civil Engineering programs in Wisconsin, 3 programs

Related majors

Still deciding between Civil Engineering and something else?

These guides put Civil Engineering side by side with the major it is most often confused with, using the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk to show where the two actually lead.

Put this major in context

The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Civil Engineering degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.

Explore Management careers

Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.

Explore Engineering & Architecture careers

Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.

How one major leads to many careers

Why a single Civil Engineering degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.

Why a median wage is not a starting salary

How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.

When accreditation and licensure matter

How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Civil Engineering path before you enroll.

Does a pricier college pay off?

How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.

Does picking a major narrow your college list?

Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.

Certificate or degree?

What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.

How this guide is sourced

This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.