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 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 21 schools to find where civil engineering graduates earn the most.
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Below are the schools whose civil engineering graduates go on to earn the most.
Our analysis ranked Rice University the top school for civil engineering graduate earnings in the Southwest Region. Set in the city of Houston, Rice University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $94,796.
Students chasing top earnings in civil engineering will find them at Texas A And M University College Station, which ranked #2. Texas A And M University College Station is a public school located in the city of College Station. Early-career civil engineering graduates from Texas A And M University College Station make a median of around $95,279 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Letourneau University earned it the #3 place for civil engineering. Letourneau University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Longview. Early-career civil engineering graduates from Letourneau University make a median of around $82,599 per year.
A rank of #4 makes The University Of Texas At Austin one of the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. Located in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a public institution. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Austin typically earn about $93,173 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in civil engineering will find them at Texas Tech University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a public institution. Early-career civil engineering graduates from Texas Tech University make a median of around $91,736 per year.
University Of Houston placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. Located in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a public institution. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of Houston typically earn about $91,240 annually.
The University Of Texas At Arlington placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. Located in the city of Arlington, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a public institution. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Arlington typically earn about $89,430 annually.
Arizona State University placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. Arizona State University is a public school located in the city of Tempe. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from Arizona State University typically earn about $87,208 annually.
University Of Arizona placed #9 among the highest-paying schools for civil engineering. Located in the city of Tucson, University Of Arizona is a public institution. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $88,614.
The University Of Texas At Tyler ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. The University Of Texas At Tyler is a public school located in the city of Tyler. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $88,533.
University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus earned the #11 position for civil engineering graduate earnings this year. University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a public school located in the suburb of Norman. Civil Engineering graduates of University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus earn a median of about $88,173 a year early in their careers.
The University Of Texas At San Antonio ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. Located in the city of San Antonio, The University Of Texas At San Antonio is a public institution. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $86,096.
Northern Arizona University earned the #13 position for civil engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a public institution. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from Northern Arizona University typically earn about $85,036 annually.
New Mexico State University Main Campus landed the #14 spot for civil engineering salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University Main Campus is a public institution. Civil Engineering graduates of New Mexico State University Main Campus earn a median of about $87,875 a year early in their careers.
Oklahoma State University Main Campus earned the #15 position for civil engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Stillwater, Oklahoma State University Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career civil engineering graduates from Oklahoma State University Main Campus make a median of around $71,176 per year.
Prairie View A And M University ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. Located in the rural area of Prairie View, Prairie View A And M University is a public institution. Early-career civil engineering graduates from Prairie View A And M University make a median of around $81,913 per year.
Texas A And M University Kingsville earned the #17 position for civil engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Kingsville, Texas A And M University Kingsville is a public institution. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from Texas A And M University Kingsville typically earn about $76,135 annually.
The University Of Texas At El Paso ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. The University Of Texas At El Paso is a public school located in the city of El Paso. Early-career civil engineering graduates from The University Of Texas At El Paso make a median of around $76,943 per year.
University Of New Mexico Main Campus came in at #19 for civil engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Albuquerque, University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a public institution. After graduating, civil engineering degree recipients from University Of New Mexico Main Campus typically earn about $84,508 annually.
The University Of Texas Pan American ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. Located in the city of Edinburg, The University Of Texas Pan American is a public institution. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $74,618.
Angelo State University ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying civil engineering schools. Angelo State University is a public school located in the city of San Angelo. Students who complete the civil engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $56,688.
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 · 21 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.