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.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying civil engineering schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose civil engineering graduates go on to earn the most.
University Of Colorado Denver tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools in Colorado. Set in the city of Denver, University Of Colorado Denver is a public institution. Early-career civil engineering graduates from University Of Colorado Denver make a median of around $89,422 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Colorado State University Fort Collins earned it the #2 place for civil engineering. Located in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a public institution. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from Colorado State University Fort Collins typically earn about $90,586 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in civil engineering will find them at Colorado School Of Mines, which ranked #3. Colorado School Of Mines is a public school located in the suburb of Golden. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $92,391.
University Of Colorado Boulder came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. Set in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a public institution. Civil Engineering graduates of University Of Colorado Boulder earn a median of about $87,083 a year early in their careers.
This list is compiled 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 · 4 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.