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Using science and data we decided to determine which programs offer the best career opportunities for civil engineering Majors. Here are the set of the top colleges for civil engineering Majors in US for 2021:
  1. Duke University
  2. Cornell University
  3. Rice University
  4. University of Notre Dame
  5. Georgia Institute of Technology
  6. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
  7. University of Florida
  8. University of Virginia
  9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  10. Lafayette College
If you go to one of these schools, chances are, you're not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.

25 Best Colleges For Civil Engineering Majors In The US

1. Duke University

Location
Durham, NC
Admission Rate: 9%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $93,200

2. Cornell University

Location
Ithaca, NY
Admission Rate: 11%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $76,300

3. Rice University

Location
Houston, TX
Admission Rate: 11%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $68,300

4. University of Notre Dame

Location
Notre Dame, IN
Admission Rate: 18%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $69,700

5. Georgia Institute of Technology

Location
Atlanta, GA
Admission Rate: 22%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $66,100

6. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Location
San Luis Obispo, CA
Admission Rate: 30%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $54,700

7. University of Florida

Location
Gainesville, FL
Admission Rate: 39%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $47,700

8. University of Virginia

Location
Charlottesville, VA
Admission Rate: 26%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $56,800

9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Location
Cambridge, MA
Admission Rate: 7%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $99,600

10. Lafayette College

Location
Easton, PA
Admission Rate: 29%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $58,400

11. Lehigh University

Location
Bethlehem, PA
Admission Rate: 22%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $67,300

12. University of Texas at Austin

Location
Austin, TX
Admission Rate: 39%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $52,200

13. Vanderbilt University

Location
Nashville, TN
Admission Rate: 10%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $61,900

14. Princeton University

Location
Princeton, NJ
Admission Rate: 5%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $73,600

15. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Location
Champaign, IL
Admission Rate: 62%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $52,300

16. Stanford University

Location
Stanford, CA
Admission Rate: 4%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $92,800

17. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Location
Ann Arbor, MI
Admission Rate: 23%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $55,900

18. Purdue University

Location
West Lafayette, IN
Admission Rate: 58%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $49,000

19. University of Maryland - College Park

Location
College Park, MD
Admission Rate: 47%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $50,100

20. University of Washington

Location
Seattle, WA
Admission Rate: 49%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $50,300

21. Northwestern University

Location
Evanston, IL
Admission Rate: 8%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $71,900

22. Colorado School of Mines

Location
Golden, CO
Admission Rate: 49%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $74,700

23. North Carolina State University

Location
Raleigh, NC
Admission Rate: 47%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $45,000

24. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Location
Worcester, MA
Admission Rate: 42%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $66,300

25. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Location
Madison, WI
Admission Rate: 52%
Mean Earning Of Students 6 Years After Entry: $49,600

How We Determined The Best Civil Engineering Colleges

We looked at the following data from the NCES (National Center For Education Statistics) and College Scorecard data from ED.gov to understand what civil engineering departments offer the best career opportunities:
  • Percentage of Graduating Class That Are Business Majors
  • Mean Earnings After 10 Years
  • Mean Earnings After 6 Years
  • Admission Rate (More selective the better)
  • Average cost of attendance (Lower is better)
  • Median amount of debt
  • Ratio of people working to not working after 10 years