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. The highest-paying schools turn a civil engineering degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 5 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.
Leading the list is University Of Virginia Main Campus, our #1 for civil engineering graduate salaries in Virginia. Set in the suburb of Charlottesville, University Of Virginia Main Campus is a public institution. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $95,518.
George Mason University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. George Mason University is a public school located in the suburb of Fairfax. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $95,921.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in civil engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a public school located in the city of Blacksburg. Early-career civil engineering graduates from Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University make a median of around $89,943 per year.
Old Dominion University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. Set in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a public institution. Early-career civil engineering graduates from Old Dominion University make a median of around $84,251 per year.
A rank of #5 makes Virginia Military Institute one of the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. Set in the town of Lexington, Virginia Military Institute is a public institution. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from Virginia Military Institute typically earn about $80,733 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.