by our College Data Analytics Team
[Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a civil engineering degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools to find where civil engineering graduates earn the most.
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If you want to know which schools send civil engineering graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
San Jose State University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid civil engineering graduates in California. San Jose State University is a public school located in the city of San Jose. Civil Engineering graduates of San Jose State University earn a median of about $108,515 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #2 makes University Of The Pacific one of the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. University Of The Pacific is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Stockton. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of The Pacific typically earn about $103,144 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Santa Clara University earned it the #3 place for civil engineering. Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Santa Clara. Civil Engineering graduates of Santa Clara University earn a median of about $110,351 a year early in their careers.
University Of California Berkeley came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. University Of California Berkeley is a public school located in the city of Berkeley. Early-career civil engineering graduates from University Of California Berkeley make a median of around $106,557 per year.
A rank of #5 makes Loyola Marymount University one of the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. Set in the city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from Loyola Marymount University typically earn about $87,790 annually.
California State Polytechnic University Pomona landed the #6 spot for civil engineering salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Pomona, California State Polytechnic University Pomona is a public institution. Civil Engineering graduates of California State Polytechnic University Pomona earn a median of about $101,195 a year early in their careers.
University Of Southern California came in at #7 for civil engineering graduate earnings this year. University Of Southern California is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Southern California typically earn about $113,117 annually.
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. Set in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a public institution. Early-career civil engineering graduates from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo make a median of around $101,918 per year.
California State University Chico ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. Set in the city of Chico, California State University Chico is a public institution. Civil Engineering graduates of California State University Chico earn a median of about $101,629 a year early in their careers.
California State University Los Angeles ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. Set in the city of Los Angeles, California State University Los Angeles is a public institution. Civil Engineering graduates of California State University Los Angeles earn a median of about $100,152 a year early in their careers.
Stanford University earned the #11 position for civil engineering graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Civil Engineering graduates of Stanford University earn a median of about $122,256 a year early in their careers.
California State University Long Beach came in at #12 for civil engineering graduate earnings this year. California State University Long Beach is a public school located in the city of Long Beach. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from California State University Long Beach typically earn about $98,200 annually.
California Baptist University placed #13 among the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. California Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Riverside. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $97,633.
University Of California Davis placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. Set in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a public institution. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $99,480.
University Of California Irvine came in at #15 for civil engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Irvine, University Of California Irvine is a public institution. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $94,661.
San Diego State University came in at #16 for civil engineering graduate earnings this year. San Diego State University is a public school located in the city of San Diego. Civil Engineering graduates of San Diego State University earn a median of about $96,325 a year early in their careers.
San Francisco State University ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. Set in the city of San Francisco, San Francisco State University is a public institution. Early-career civil engineering graduates from San Francisco State University make a median of around $100,807 per year.
California State University Sacramento ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. California State University Sacramento is a public school located in the city of Sacramento. Early-career civil engineering graduates from California State University Sacramento make a median of around $96,092 per year.
California State University Fullerton landed the #19 spot for civil engineering salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Fullerton, California State University Fullerton is a public institution. Early-career civil engineering graduates from California State University Fullerton make a median of around $94,748 per year.
University Of California Los Angeles placed #20 among the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a public institution. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of California Los Angeles typically earn about $101,426 annually.
California State University Fresno ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. Set in the city of Fresno, California State University Fresno is a public institution. Civil Engineering graduates of California State University Fresno earn a median of about $93,213 a year early in their careers.
University Of California San Diego came in at #22 for civil engineering graduate earnings this year. University Of California San Diego is a public school located in the city of La Jolla. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $95,365.
California State University Northridge ranked #23 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. California State University Northridge is a public school located in the city of Northridge. Early-career civil engineering graduates from California State University Northridge make a median of around $88,971 per year.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their civil engineering graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 23 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
