Best Schools for Civil Engineering in the United States
Below are the best civil engineering schools at the master’s degree level, ranked by the quality of the education they deliver.
Top Schools in Civil Engineering
Leading the list is University Of Washington Seattle Campus, our #1 school for civil engineering. Set in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 85%. University Of Washington Seattle Campus awarded about 12 civil engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Washington Seattle Campus generally make around $87,462. Students borrow a median of $14,874 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in civil engineering from University Of Washington Seattle Campus
A rank of #2 makes University Of California Davis one of the top schools for civil engineering. Located in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a very large public university. University Of California Davis graduates 86% of students within six years. There were roughly 15 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at University Of California Davis in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of California Davis generally make around $86,909. University Of California Davis graduates carry a median of $16,101 in student loans.
Read more about the civil engineering program at University Of California Davis
A rank of #3 makes California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo one of the top schools for civil engineering. California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a very large public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo. About 86% of students finish within six years. About 25 civil engineering degrees were awarded at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo in the most recent year. Graduates of the civil engineering program make about $85,887 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $20,424.
Get the full civil engineering details for California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
Students looking for a strong civil engineering program will find one at University Of Notre Dame, which ranked #4. University Of Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame. The six-year graduation rate is 95%. There were roughly 18 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at University Of Notre Dame in the most recent data year. Students who receive their civil engineering degree from University Of Notre Dame earn around $74,499 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $20,100.
Get the full civil engineering details for University Of Notre Dame
Western New England University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in civil engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Springfield, Western New England University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 64%. There were roughly 15 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Western New England University in the most recent data year. Civil Engineering graduates of Western New England University earn a median of $67,726 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
Read more about the civil engineering program at Western New England University
Other Civil Engineering Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare Civil Engineering rankings across degree levels:
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 19 schools evaluated.
- 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
