by our College Data Analytics Team
[Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The schools below stand out for the salaries their civil engineering graduates go on to command.
College Factual analyzed 10 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying civil engineering schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send civil engineering graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
University Of Dayton tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools in Ohio. University Of Dayton is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Dayton. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Dayton typically earn about $90,774 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in civil engineering will find them at University Of Cincinnati Main Campus, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a public institution. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $88,041.
A rank of #3 makes Case Western Reserve University one of the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. Set in the city of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $74,266.
Ohio State University Main Campus came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. Set in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a public institution. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $82,114.
University Of Toledo produces some of the highest-paid graduates in civil engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Toledo, University Of Toledo is a public institution. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $76,345.
Ohio University Main Campus came in at #6 for civil engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a public institution. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $79,566.
Ohio Northern University placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. Set in the town of Ada, Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from Ohio Northern University typically earn about $76,866 annually.
University Of Akron Main Campus landed the #8 spot for civil engineering salaries this year. Set in the city of Akron, University Of Akron Main Campus is a public institution. Civil Engineering graduates of University Of Akron Main Campus earn a median of about $77,310 a year early in their careers.
Cleveland State University earned the #9 position for civil engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Cleveland, Cleveland State University is a public institution. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $72,837.
Youngstown State University came in at #10 for civil engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Youngstown, Youngstown State University is a public institution. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from Youngstown State University typically earn about $71,919 annually.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries civil engineering graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 10 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.