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2023 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering

134 Ranked Colleges
1,086 Degrees Awarded
$35,400 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 21,388 people earned their degree in civil engineering, making the major the 50th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, civil engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $63,364 and had an average of $24,364 in loans still to pay off.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,086 civil engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate” ranking looked at 134 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in civil engineering. To top this list, a school must have a successful civil engineering program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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The civil eng school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree civil eng students.

1
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 38 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

2

Out of the 134 schools in the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #2 spot on the list. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 36 doctorate’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Civil Engineering Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Austin. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate list. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 doctorate’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 32 doctorate’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UIUC

5
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate list. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Stanford

6

University of California - Berkeley ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 doctorate’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Berkeley Civil Engineering Report

6

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate ranking. Georgia Tech is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 26 doctorate’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Georgia Tech

8

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Arlington, Texas, this large public school awarded 25 degrees to qualified doctorate’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at UT Arlington

9
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 24 doctorate’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at North Carolina State University

10

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate ranking. ASU - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 22 doctorate’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at ASU - Tempe

10

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate list. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 22 doctorate’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at UW Seattle

12

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 19 doctorate’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at University of California - Los Angeles

12

University of Colorado Boulder landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate ranking. Boulder, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s civil eng degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at CU - Boulder

14

With a ranking of #14, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate list. Iowa State University is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 18 doctorate’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Iowa State

14

University of Central Florida came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 18 doctorate’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at UCF

16
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

With a ranking of #16, Oregon State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate list. Oregon State is a public institution located in Corvallis, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Oregon State

16

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s civil eng degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at U-M

16
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

With a ranking of #16, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate list. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Notre Dame

16

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #16. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 16 doctorate’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Civil Engineering at UC Davis

20
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #20. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Civil Engineering Report

21

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Mizzou

21

University of California - Irvine landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 doctorate’s civil eng degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University of California - Irvine

23

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this large public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified doctorate’s civil eng students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at Louisiana State University

23
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #23, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate list. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 12 doctorate’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech

23

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 12 doctorate’s civil eng degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMCP Civil Engineering Report

23
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

University at Buffalo landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Civil Eng Major for a Doctorate ranking. Buffalo, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s civil eng degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Civil Engineering at University at Buffalo

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