PickACampus
Loading...

Best Colleges for Civil Engineering

The best colleges for a Civil Engineering degree, led by Columbia University in the City of New York, University of California-Berkeley and University of Southern California. Each school is shown with its acceptance rate, tuition, and average SAT so you can weigh Civil Engineering programs side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best college for Civil Engineering?

Based on our rankings, Columbia University in the City of New York is the top-ranked college for Civil Engineering. Other top choices include University of California-Berkeley, University of Southern California, Carnegie Mellon University.

What are the best Civil Engineering schools?

The best Civil Engineering schools, based on program-specific federal data including median earnings and graduate counts, are Columbia University in the City of New York, University of California-Berkeley, University of Southern California. Our rankings use College Scorecard field-of-study data rather than editorial opinion.

How much does it cost to study Civil Engineering?

The average out-of-state tuition among top Civil Engineering programs is approximately $53,832 per year. However, costs vary significantly — many schools offer generous financial aid packages that can reduce the effective cost.

How long does it take to get a Civil Engineering degree?

A bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering typically takes four years of full-time study. Some programs offer accelerated tracks or combined bachelor's-to-master's options that can extend or shorten the timeline.

How are these Civil Engineering rankings determined?

Our major rankings are independently calculated from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study (CIP) data — primarily median earnings 4 years after graduation and program scale (graduate count), with a 10+ annual graduates minimum per program. They are not derived from US News or any other publication.

Career outcomes for Civil Engineering graduates

Among the top 10 ranked Civil Engineering programs, the average early-career salary is approximately $92,702 per year. Below are the highest-paying Civil Engineering programs based on federal College Scorecard earnings data reported by graduates four years after completion.

  1. 1. Columbia University in the City of New York — New York, NY · 4% acceptance · SAT 1,553 · $71,845 tuition · 96% grad rate
  2. 2. University of California-Berkeley — Berkeley, CA · 11% acceptance · $50,547 tuition · 93% grad rate
  3. 3. University of Southern California — Los Angeles, CA · 9.8% acceptance · SAT 1,495 · $72,097 tuition · 92% grad rate
  4. 4. Carnegie Mellon University — Pittsburgh, PA · 11.7% acceptance · SAT 1,546 · $66,246 tuition · 94% grad rate
  5. 5. Northeastern University — Boston, MA · 5.2% acceptance · SAT 1,497 · $66,162 tuition · 91% grad rate
  6. 6. Cornell University — Ithaca, NY · 8.8% acceptance · SAT 1,535 · $69,314 tuition · 95% grad rate
  7. 7. New York University — New York, NY · 9.2% acceptance · SAT 1,520 · $62,796 tuition · 88% grad rate
  8. 8. The University of Texas at Austin — Austin, TX · 26.6% acceptance · SAT 1,395 · $44,908 tuition · 89% grad rate
  9. 9. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, MI · 15.6% acceptance · SAT 1,465 · $60,946 tuition · 93% grad rate
  10. 10. University of Virginia-Main Campus — Charlottesville, VA · 16.8% acceptance · SAT 1,480 · $59,512 tuition · 96% grad rate
  11. 11. University of California-Los Angeles — Los Angeles, CA · 9% acceptance · $49,403 tuition · 93% grad rate
  12. 12. Purdue University-Main Campus — West Lafayette, IN · 49.9% acceptance · SAT 1,364 · $28,794 tuition · 83% grad rate
  13. 13. Texas A&M University-College Station — College Station, TX · 57.4% acceptance · SAT 1,280 · $40,124 tuition · 84% grad rate
  14. 14. Santa Clara University — Santa Clara, CA · 48% acceptance · SAT 1,426 · $61,293 tuition · 88% grad rate
  15. 15. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — Champaign, IL · 42.4% acceptance · SAT 1,440 · $35,124 tuition · 85% grad rate
  16. 16. University of Maryland-College Park — College Park, MD · 44.8% acceptance · SAT 1,473 · $41,186 tuition · 89% grad rate
  17. 17. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo — San Luis Obispo, CA · 31.3% acceptance · $34,665 tuition · 86% grad rate
  18. 18. University of Washington-Seattle Campus — Seattle, WA · 39.2% acceptance · $43,209 tuition · 85% grad rate
  19. 19. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University — Blacksburg, VA · 54.8% acceptance · SAT 1,364 · $37,764 tuition · 86% grad rate
  20. 20. University of Notre Dame — Notre Dame, IN · 11.3% acceptance · SAT 1,520 · $65,025 tuition · 95% grad rate
  21. 21. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus — Atlanta, GA · 14.1% acceptance · SAT 1,480 · $34,484 tuition · 94% grad rate
  22. 22. George Washington University — Washington, DC · 47.1% acceptance · SAT 1,433 · $67,710 tuition · 84% grad rate
  23. 23. Tufts University — Medford, MA · 11.5% acceptance · SAT 1,513 · $70,704 tuition · 94% grad rate
  24. 24. University of California-Davis — Davis, CA · 41.8% acceptance · $50,974 tuition · 86% grad rate
  25. 25. Worcester Polytechnic Institute — Worcester, MA · 60.2% acceptance · $60,965 tuition · 90% grad rate

Best Colleges for Civil Engineering on PickACampus