2023 Best Civil Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools
Ranked #35 in popularity, civil engineering is one of the most sought-after bachelor's degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.College Factual reviewed 236 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for bachelor's degree seekers in the field of civil engineering. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 15,193 bachelor's degrees in civil engineering during the 2020-2021 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Civil Engineering School for Your Bachelor's Degree
The civil eng bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality civil eng program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
Quality Overall Is Important
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average Earnings
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
Other Factors We Consider
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
- Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to civil engineering students as compared to other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other civil engineering students want to attend this school to pursue a bachelor's degree.
- Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
- Student Debt - How much debt civil engineering students go into to obtain their bachelor's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized civil engineering related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for civil engineering students working on their bachelor's degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Civil Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Civil Engineering in the United States
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for civil engineering students seeking a a bachelor's degree. 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 for a Bachelor's in Civil Eng
It's difficult to beat Massachusetts Institute of Technology if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. MIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Cambridge.More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
It is hard to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Civil Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from University of Southern California receive an earnings boost of around $14,618 over the typical earnings of civil engineering majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from University of Southern California
University of Notre Dame is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Notre Dame.
Those civil engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Notre Dame earn $6,211 more than the average civil eng student.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from University of Notre Dame
It is hard to beat Duke University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham.More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Duke University
Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Northwestern University
Located in the city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Princeton University
UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the city of Seattle.
Bachelor's recipients from the civil engineering degree program at University of Washington - Seattle Campus earn $4,399 more than the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.
Those civil engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech receive $2,800 more than the average civil eng grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Virginia Tech
Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Those civil engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from Cornell University make $6,663 more than the typical civil eng graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Cornell University
Lehigh is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Bethlehem.
Civil Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from Lehigh University earn a boost of about $6,262 over the typical earnings of civil engineering graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Lehigh University
UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Davis.
Those civil engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from University of California - Davis make $3,286 more than the standard civil eng grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from University of California - Davis
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public university located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.
Bachelor's recipients from the civil engineering degree program at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo make $11,423 more than the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Civil Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley get an earnings boost of approximately $8,369 above the typical earnings of civil engineering majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from University of California - Berkeley
Located in the large city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Rice University
Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Pittsburgh.More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Carnegie Mellon University
UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the civil eng program state that they receive average early career earnings of $62,929.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from University of California - Los Angeles
UIUC is a very large public university located in the small city of Champaign.
Those civil engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn $2,632 more than the standard civil eng student.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.
Those civil engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from Columbia University in the City of New York make $8,470 more than the standard civil eng grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Columbia University in the City of New York
UF is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Gainesville.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the civil eng program make an average of $62,005 for their early career.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from University of Florida
Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population.
Those civil engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn $4,336 more than the typical civil eng student.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Madison.
Bachelor's recipients from the civil engineering degree program at University of Wisconsin - Madison make $5,209 more than the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Georgia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Atlanta.
Civil Engineering bachelor's degree recipients from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus receive an earnings boost of around $5,628 over the typical earnings of civil engineering graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Those civil engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from Purdue University - Main Campus make $5,126 more than the standard civil eng graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Purdue University - Main Campus
Texas A&M College Station is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of College Station.
Those civil engineering students who get their bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University - College Station make $4,443 more than the standard civil eng graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Texas A&M University - College Station
Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the civil engineering degree program at University of Virginia - Main Campus make $9,271 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in civil engineering from University of Virginia - Main CampusRest of the Top Best Civil Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Civil Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Stevens Institute of Technology | Hoboken, NJ |
| 37 | North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC |
| 38 | Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology | Terre Haute, IN |
| 39 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 40 | University of California - Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 41 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA |
| 42 | Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD |
| 43 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN |
| 44 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester, MA |
| 45 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | Rolla, MO |
| 46 | Clemson University | Clemson, SC |
| 47 | George Washington University | Washington, DC |
Civil Engineering by Region
View the Best Civil Engineering Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
Civil Engineering Related Rankings by Major
Civil Engineering is one of 40 different types of Engineering programs to choose from.
Civil Eng Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Civil Engineering | 14,989 |
| Structural Engineering | 154 |
| Civil Engineering | 27 |
| Trasportation Engineering | 21 |
| Water Resources Engineering | 2 |
Majors Similar to Civil Eng
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 36,809 |
| Electrical Engineering | 17,320 |
| Computer Engineering | 12,194 |
| Chemical Engineering | 10,172 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 8,517 |
| Industrial Engineering | 5,876 |
| Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering | 5,581 |
| General Engineering | 2,652 |
| Environmental Engineering | 1,799 |
| Materials Engineering | 1,519 |
Notes and References
- The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Master Sgt. Roger Parsons. More about our data sources and methodologies.
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