by our College Data Analytics Team
[Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the early-career earnings of their civil engineering graduates.
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.
For graduate earnings in civil engineering, no school beat Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus this year. Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus is a public school located in the city of Atlanta. Civil Engineering graduates of Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus earn a median of about $91,461 a year early in their careers.
Kennesaw State University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in civil engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Kennesaw, Kennesaw State University is a public institution. Civil Engineering graduates of Kennesaw State University earn a median of about $86,768 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in civil engineering will find them at University Of Georgia, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a public institution. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Georgia typically earn about $73,327 annually.
A rank of #4 makes Georgia Southern University one of the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. Located in the town of Statesboro, Georgia Southern University is a public institution. Early-career civil engineering graduates from Georgia Southern University make a median of around $76,963 per year.
This list is compiled 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 · 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.