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 5 schools to find where civil engineering graduates earn the most.
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.
Marquette University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid civil engineering graduates in Wisconsin. Marquette University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee. Early-career civil engineering graduates from Marquette University make a median of around $91,837 per year.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Wisconsin Madison one of the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a public school located in the city of Madison. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Madison typically earn about $83,988 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in civil engineering will find them at University Of Wisconsin Platteville, which ranked #3. Located in the town of Platteville, University Of Wisconsin Platteville is a public institution. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $81,237.
A rank of #4 makes Milwaukee School Of Engineering one of the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. Located in the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee School Of Engineering is a private not-for-profit institution. Civil Engineering graduates of Milwaukee School Of Engineering earn a median of about $90,027 a year early in their careers.
University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee produces some of the highest-paid graduates in civil engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Milwaukee, University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a public institution. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee typically earn about $83,381 annually.
This ranking is produced 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 · 5 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.