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2024 Best Civil Engineering Schools

241 Colleges in the United States
21,388 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$63,364 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in civil engineering is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #50 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual looked at 241 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Civil Engineering Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 21,388 degrees in civil engineering during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Civil Engineering School

Best Civil Engineering Schools Your choice of civil engineering school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for civil engineering schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Civil Engineering Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Civil Eng
Master's Degrees in Civil Eng
Doctor's Degrees in Civil Eng

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Civil Engineering Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Civil Engineering in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of civil eng degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Civil Eng

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
176 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$78,911 Median Starting Salary

Stanford University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in civil engineering. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 176 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year. Those civil engineering students who get their degree from Stanford University make $15,547 more than the standard civil eng student.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Stanford University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$80,199 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Massachusetts Institute of Technology if you want to pursue a degree in civil engineering. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, MIT is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means MIT is a great school overall.

There were roughly 45 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at MIT in the most recent year we have data available. Civil Engineering degree recipients from Massachusetts Institute of Technology receive an earnings boost of about $16,835 above the average income of civil engineering majors.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
84 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$78,636 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a degree in civil engineering. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 84 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Civil Engineering degree recipients from University of Southern California receive an earnings boost of approximately $15,272 over the average income of civil engineering majors.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of Southern California

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
147 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$75,497 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in civil engineering needs to take a look at Columbia University in the City of New York. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 147 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the civil engineering program at Columbia University in the City of New York make $12,133 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Columbia University in the City of New York

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In IL
72 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded

Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 72 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Northwestern University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
160 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$67,329 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 160 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Those civil engineering students who get their degree from University of California - Los Angeles earn $3,965 more than the average civil eng grad.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of California - Los Angeles

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
243 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$68,802 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 13th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 243 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Those civil engineering students who get their degree from University of California - Davis earn $5,438 more than the average civil eng grad.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of California - Davis

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
294 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$71,918 Median Starting Salary

UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 294 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the civil engineering program at University of California - Berkeley make $8,554 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of California - Berkeley

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$67,169 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were approximately 67 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year. Civil Engineering degree recipients from University of Notre Dame earn a boost of about $3,805 above the typical earnings of civil engineering majors.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of Notre Dame

10
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In TX
11.5% Growth in Graduates

Rice is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.

There were about 26 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Rice University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
320 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$70,459 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 51 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were about 320 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Civil Engineering degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus earn a boost of around $7,095 over the average income of civil engineering majors.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

12
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In NC
49 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were approximately 49 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Duke University

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
125 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
19.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.

There were approximately 125 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent year we have data available. Civil Engineering degree recipients from Carnegie Mellon University receive an earnings boost of about $4,114 above the typical earnings of civil engineering majors.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Carnegie Mellon University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
403 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
8.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 403 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Civil Engineering degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn a boost of around $3,817 over the typical income of civil engineering majors.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
16.4% Growth in Graduates

University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the suburb of Charlottesville. This university ranks 1st out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 61 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. Civil Engineering degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus receive an earnings boost of about $6,865 over the average income of civil engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of Virginia - Main Campus

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
206 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$68,610 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 1st out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were roughly 206 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Tech in the most recent data year. Civil Engineering degree recipients from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus earn a boost of about $5,246 above the average income of civil engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
7.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were approximately 157 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Civil Engineering degree recipients from University of Wisconsin - Madison get an earnings boost of approximately $2,421 above the typical earnings of civil engineering majors.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of Wisconsin - Madison

18
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In NJ
47 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded

Princeton is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Princeton. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Princeton is a great university overall.

There were approximately 47 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Princeton University

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
192 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
8.9% Growth in Graduates

UCSD is a very large public university located in the large city of La Jolla. This university ranks 8th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 192 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year. Civil Engineering degree recipients from University of California - San Diego receive an earnings boost of about $7,671 over the typical earnings of civil engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from University of California - San Diego

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
386 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
0.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 386 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent year we have data available. Civil Engineering degree recipients from Texas A&M University - College Station get an earnings boost of about $4,232 above the typical income of civil engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M University - College Station

21
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In TN

Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 25 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Vanderbilt University

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
273 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
3.7% Growth in Graduates

Purdue is a fairly large public university located in the city of West Lafayette. This university ranks 2nd out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were about 273 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the civil engineering major at Purdue University - Main Campus make $3,732 more than the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Purdue University - Main Campus

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$67,621 Median Starting Salary

Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. This university ranks 3rd out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 71 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Civil Engineering degree recipients from Cornell University receive an earnings boost of about $4,257 over the average income of civil engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Cornell University

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
214 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
$68,278 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 214 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Civil Engineering degree recipients from The University of Texas at Austin receive an earnings boost of approximately $4,914 above the typical earnings of civil engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from The University of Texas at Austin

25
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
343 Civil Eng Degrees Awarded
5.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population. This school ranks 2nd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 343 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Those civil engineering students who get their degree from Virginia Tech make $3,712 more than the average civil eng grad.

More information about a degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech

Rest of the Top Best Civil Engineering Schools

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27
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29
30
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
31
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
32
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY

33

34
35
36

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Civil Engineering students that almost earned our Best Civil Engineering Schools award.

Rank College Location
37 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
38 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
39 Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO
40 Northeastern University Boston, MA
41 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
42 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
43 Clemson University Clemson, SC
44 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
45 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
46 Iowa State University Ames, IA
47 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
48 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH

Civil Engineering by Region

View the Best Civil Engineering Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 41 majors within the Engineering area of study, Civil Engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.

Civil Eng Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Civil Engineering 20,711
Structural Engineering 332
Trasportation Engineering 131
Civil Engineering 131
Water Resources Engineering 71
Geoenvironmental Engineering 12

View All Civil Eng Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Mechanical Engineering 46,178
Electrical Engineering 28,844
Computer Engineering 17,987
Chemical Engineering 12,917
Biomedical Engineering 12,811
General Engineering 11,796
Industrial Engineering 9,072
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 8,001
Systems Engineering 3,904
Materials Engineering 3,415

View All Civil Eng Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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