by our College Data Analytics TeamGeneral Civil Engineering was the 41st most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 20,711 degrees in this year alone. This represents a small change of only -1.0% from the prior year's total of 20,913 general civil engineering degrees awarded.
This year's Best General Civil Engineering Schools ranking compares 236 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom general civil engineering rankings further below.
A major in general civil engineering prepares you for careers in which understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents is crucial. Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems and giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times are all required skills for careers related to this major.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Specific general civil engineering careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
General Civil Engineering degree levels vary. General Civil Engineering programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest general civil engineering degree you can get. How long it takes to complete some common general civil engineering degree levels is shown below.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to general civil engineering, with approximately 33.8% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for general civil engineering workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 42.2% |
| Master’s Degree | 25.0% |
| Doctoral Degree | 12.8% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 8.6% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 4.7% |
Most workers in general civil engineering have at least a master's degree. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in general civil engineering have received.
This of course varies depending on which general civil engineering career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your general civil engineering degree? General Civil Engineering careers are expected to grow 9.2% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to general civil engineering.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineers | 335,700 | 10.6% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 190,000 | 5.5% |
| Engineering Professors | 54,600 | 14.7% |
As you might expect, salaries for general civil engineering graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for general civil engineering graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers general civil engineering grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $148,970 |
| Engineering Professors | $113,680 |
| Civil Engineers | $93,720 |
With over 679 different general civil engineering degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased general civil engineering school rankings to help you with this.
General Civil Engineering is one of 5 different types of Civil Engineering programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Structural Engineering | 332 |
| Trasportation Engineering | 131 |
| Civil Engineering | 131 |
| Water Resources Engineering | 71 |
| Geoenvironmental Engineering | 12 |
Image Credit: By Master Sgt. Roger Parsons under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
