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2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major

314 Ranked Colleges
21,388 Degrees Awarded
$34,200 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Civil Engineering is the 50th most popular major in the country with 21,388 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, civil engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $63,364 and had an average of $24,364 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major” ranking looked at 314 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in civil engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular civil engineering programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for civil eng students.

1

Out of the 314 schools in the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 403 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIUC Civil Engineering Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M University - College Station. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major list. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 386 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Texas A&M College Station

3
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Tech. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 343 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 320 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Civil Engineering Report

5

Out of the 314 schools in the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major that were part of this year’s ranking, New Jersey Institute of Technology landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Newark, New Jersey, and it awarded 306 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at NJIT

6

University of California - Berkeley came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 294 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UC Berkeley

7
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 273 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

8

With a ranking of #8, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major list. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 268 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona

9

University of California - Davis ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 243 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UC Davis

9
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major list. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 244 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of Florida

11

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 231 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at ASU - Tempe

12
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 223 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full NC State Civil Engineering Report

13

With a ranking of #13, The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major list. The University of Texas at Arlington is a large school located in Arlington, Texas that handed out 222 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at The University of Texas at Arlington

14

With a ranking of #14, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 214 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UT Austin Civil Engineering Report

14

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 214 ’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

16

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major list. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 206 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Georgia Tech

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major list. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s civil eng degrees to 201 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Central Florida Civil Engineering Report

18
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

University at Buffalo came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major ranking. University at Buffalo is a large public school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 200 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University at Buffalo

19
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 192 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Northeastern University

19

University of California - San Diego landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 192 degrees to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of California - San Diego

21
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major ranking. Located in Clemson, South Carolina, this large public school handed out 181 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Clemson

22

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major ranking, coming in at #22. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 179 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Sac State

23

With a ranking of #23, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major list. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 179 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Iowa State

24
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major ranking, coming in at #24. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 176 ’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Stanford Civil Engineering Report

25

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 174 diplomas to qualified ’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Ohio State

Rest of the Best 48 in Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major

Not only did these schools make the top 48 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California
28
29
30
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon
30
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
32
33
34
34
36
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington
36
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas
38
39
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama
40
41
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
42
43
43
45
46
46
48

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Notes and References

References

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