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2024 Best Civil Engineering Schools

241 Colleges in the United States
20,655 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$63,350 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in civil engineering is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #50 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual looked at 241 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Civil Engineering Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 20,655 degrees in civil engineering to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Civil Engineering School

Best Civil Engineering Schools Your choice of civil engineering school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for civil engineering schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Civil Engineering Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Civil Eng
Master's Degrees in Civil Eng
Doctor's Degrees in Civil Eng

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Civil Engineering Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Civil Engineering in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of civil eng degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Civil Eng

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
181 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
2.8% Growth in Graduates

Stanford University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in civil engineering. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 181 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the civil engineering degree program at Stanford University make $15,561 more than the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Stanford University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
4.3% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat Massachusetts Institute of Technology if you want to pursue a degree in civil engineering. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, MIT is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means MIT is a great school overall.

There were approximately 47 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at MIT in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the civil engineering program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology earn $16,849 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$78,636 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a degree in civil engineering. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 79 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Civil Engineering degree recipients from University of Southern California receive an earnings boost of around $15,285 above the average income of civil engineering majors.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of Southern California

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
118 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$75,497 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in civil engineering has to take a look at Columbia University in the City of New York. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 118 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the civil engineering program at Columbia University in the City of New York get $12,147 more than the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Columbia University in the City of New York

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In IL
60 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded

Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 60 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Northwestern University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
199 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
19.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 199 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the civil engineering degree program at University of California - Los Angeles get $3,979 more than the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of California - Los Angeles

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
227 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$68,802 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 13th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 227 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Those civil engineering students who get their degree from University of California - Davis receive $5,452 more than the standard civil eng grad.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of California - Davis

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
383 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
23.2% Growth in Graduates

UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 383 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Civil Engineering degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley receive an earnings boost of approximately $8,567 above the typical earnings of civil engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of California - Berkeley

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
8.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were about 73 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Those civil engineering students who get their degree from University of Notre Dame earn $3,819 more than the typical civil eng student.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of Notre Dame

10
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In TX

Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.

There were about 26 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Rice University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
292 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$70,459 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 51 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were roughly 292 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Those civil engineering students who get their degree from University of Washington - Seattle Campus make $7,108 more than the typical civil eng graduate.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

12
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In NC
32 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were approximately 32 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Duke University

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
97 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$67,478 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.

There were roughly 97 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent data year. Those civil engineering students who get their degree from Carnegie Mellon University receive $4,128 more than the standard civil eng grad.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Carnegie Mellon University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
313 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$67,181 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 313 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Those civil engineering students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn $3,831 more than the standard civil eng student.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
80 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
23.8% Growth in Graduates

University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the small suburb of Charlottesville. This university ranks 1st out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 80 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Those civil engineering students who get their degree from University of Virginia - Main Campus earn $6,879 more than the average civil eng student.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of Virginia - Main Campus

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
190 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$68,610 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 1st out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were approximately 190 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Tech in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the civil engineering major at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus make $5,259 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
138 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$65,785 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were about 138 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. Those civil engineering students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison earn $2,435 more than the average civil eng grad.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of Wisconsin - Madison

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In NJ
72 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded

Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Princeton. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Princeton is a great university overall.

There were approximately 72 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Princeton University

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
187 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$71,035 Median Starting Salary

UCSD is a very large public university located in the large city of La Jolla. This university ranks 8th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 187 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. Those civil engineering students who get their degree from University of California - San Diego receive $7,684 more than the standard civil eng graduate.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of California - San Diego

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
320 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$67,596 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 320 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year. Civil Engineering degree recipients from Texas A&M University - College Station earn a boost of approximately $4,246 over the typical earnings of civil engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M University - College Station

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In TN
7.4% Growth in Graduates

Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 27 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Vanderbilt University

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
257 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$67,096 Median Starting Salary

Purdue is a fairly large public university located in the city of West Lafayette. This university ranks 2nd out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were roughly 257 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the civil engineering degree program at Purdue University - Main Campus get $3,746 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Purdue University - Main Campus

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
18.4% Growth in Graduates

Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. This university ranks 3rd out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 87 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Civil Engineering degree recipients from Cornell University get an earnings boost of around $4,271 over the average income of civil engineering majors.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Cornell University

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
225 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
4.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 225 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the civil engineering major at The University of Texas at Austin make $4,928 more than the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from The University of Texas at Austin

25
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
327 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$67,076 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population. This school ranks 2nd out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 327 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Those civil engineering students who get their degree from Virginia Tech make $3,726 more than the standard civil eng grad.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech

Rest of the Top Best Civil Engineering Schools

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27
28
29
30
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
31
32

33

34
35
36

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Civil Engineering students that almost earned our Best Civil Engineering Schools award.

RankCollegeLocation
37North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
38Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD
39Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, MO
40Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA
41San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
42Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA
43Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
44University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
45Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI
46Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
47University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
48Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH

Civil Engineering by Region

View the Best Civil Engineering Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 41 majors within the Engineering area of study, Civil Engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.

Civil Eng Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
General Civil Engineering19,994
Structural Engineering332
Civil Engineering131
Trasportation Engineering129
Water Resources Engineering51
Geoenvironmental Engineering18

View All Civil Eng Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Mechanical Engineering44,794
Electrical Engineering26,528
Computer Engineering16,954
Biomedical Engineering13,222
Chemical Engineering12,248
General Engineering11,534
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering8,671
Industrial Engineering8,087
Systems Engineering3,802
Materials Engineering3,476

View All Civil Eng Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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