Engineering: Civil Engineering Focus
Katie Schenk - October 13, 2017
By 2025, the civil engineering market size is likely to reach $11.72 trillion. In 2015, global governmental spend alone was $4 trillion – that excludes private spending.
Growth is driven by various factors but follows regional trends. In Europe, for example, civil engineering revolves around a push towards green living and increased safety codes for all structures.
In China, and similarly developing Asian states, a push towards increased social infrastructure ensures continued developments. The same can be said for South American countries.
Infrastructure in the United States is one of the few areas which enjoys bipartisan support. This explains the forecasted eight percent job growth for civil engineers in the US between 2014 and 2024. Though this is roughly on par with average increases, the number of civil engineers currently in the field suggests that well over 23,000 jobs will be created over this period.
While it is possible to begin civil engineering work in the US with just a bachelor’s degree, an advanced degree is quickly becoming the base level for promotions to management positions and licensure which is required for many positions in all 50 states.
Across all positions and level of education, the 2016 median pay for civil engineers in the US was $83,540 annually, the highest average salary in the field sits around $130,000.
Considering a civil engineering master’s degree in the US? Take a look at some of the top programmes – and take a few moments to peruse some of the companies recruiting master’s students on campuses across the country.
Quick view: Top US civil engineering programmes
Universities: US West
Arizona State University - Ira A. Fulton Schools of EngineeringTempe, Arizona
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 42
- USNWR civil department rank: 33
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $51,411
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Pasadena (Los Angeles), California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 4
- USNWR civil department rank: 12
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $78,786
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Stanford (San Francisco), California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 2
- USNWR civil department rank: 4
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $84,726
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
College Station, Texas
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 11
- USNWR civil department rank: 12
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $39,959
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Berkeley (San Francisco), California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 3
- USNWR civil department rank: 1
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $61,102
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Davis (Sacramento), California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 34
- USNWR civil department rank: 12
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $51,005
Irvine (Los Angeles), California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 37
- USNWR civil department rank: 33
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $47,837
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Los Angeles, California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 16
- USNWR civil department rank: 17
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $59,302
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
San Diego, California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 13
- USNWR civil department rank: 17
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $56,934
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Boulder, Colorado
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 32
- USNWR civil department rank: 21
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $48,932
Los Angeles, California
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 11
- USNWR civil department rank: 25
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $60,387
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Austin, Texas
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 9
- USNWR civil department rank: 4
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $37,274
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Seattle, Washington
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 25
- USNWR civil department rank: 16
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $51,321
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Universities: US Northeast
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 5
- USNWR civil department rank: 10
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $68,915
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
New York, New York
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 13
- USNWR civil department rank: 30
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $79,890
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Ithaca, New York
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 13
- USNWR civil department rank: 10
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $55,280
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Baltimore, Maryland
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 19
- USNWR civil department rank: 30
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $70,915
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Cambridge (Boston), Massachusetts
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 1
- USNWR civil department rank: 7
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $82,750
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
New York, New York
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 45
- USNWR civil department rank: 103
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $58,491
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Boston, Massachusetts
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 39
- USNWR civil department rank: 36
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $42,666
University Park, Pennsylvania
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 32
- USNWR civil department rank: 21
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $55,000
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Princeton, New Jersey
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 17
- USNWR civil department rank: 21
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $74,190
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Troy, New York
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 39
- USNWR civil department rank: 40
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $70,719
Newark, Delaware
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 48
- USNWR civil department rank: 60
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $47,713
College Park (Washington DC), Maryland
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 24
- USNWR civil department rank: 25
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $47,054
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 42
- USNWR civil department rank: 60
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $50,435
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Universities: US South
Durham, North Carolina
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 29
- USNWR civil department rank: 33
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $75,382
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Atlanta, Georgia
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 7
- USNWR civil department rank: 2
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $58,248
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Raleigh, North Carolina
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 25
- USNWR civil department rank: 17
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $44,510
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Houston, Texas
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 29
- USNWR civil department rank: 25
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $65,763
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Gainesville, Florida
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 42
- USNWR civil department rank: 25
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $47,284
Charlottesville, Virginia
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 39
- USNWR civil department rank: 45
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $48,901
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Nashville, Tennessee
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 36
- USNWR civil department rank: 50
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $66,732
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Blacksburg, Virginia
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 27
- USNWR civil department rank: 7
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $43,220
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Universities: US Midwest
Case Western Reserve University - Case School of EngineeringCleveland, Ohio
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 50
- USNWR civil department rank: 60
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $62,704
Ames, Iowa
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 45
- USNWR civil department rank: 36
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $39,658
Columbus, Ohio
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 31
- USNWR civil department rank: 36
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $52,196
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
West Lafayette, Indiana
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 8
- USNWR civil department rank: 6
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $43,118
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Urbana, Illinois
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 9
- USNWR civil department rank: 2
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $56,984
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Ann Arbor, Michigan
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 5
- USNWR civil department rank: 9
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $68,144
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Minneapolis, Minnesota
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 27
- USNWR civil department rank: 21
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $43,006
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Notre Dame, Indiana
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 48
- USNWR civil department rank: 45
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $71,856
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Madison, Wisconsin
- USNWR engineering programme rank: 18
- USNWR civil department rank: 17
- Estimated annual cost of attendance: $44,369
- Prodigy Finance loans available: Yes
Universities offering ME degrees
Massachusetts Institute of Technology - School of Engineering
Pennsylvania State University—University Park - College of Engineering
Princeton University - School of Engineering and Applied Science
University of Florida - Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
University of Minnesota—Twin Cities - College of Science and Engineering
University of Virginia - School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Universities offering spring admissions
- Arizona State University - Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
- Columbia University - The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied
- Cornell University - College of Engineering
- Iowa State University - College of Engineering
- North Carolina State University - College of Engineering
- Pennsylvania State University—University Park - College of Engineering
- Purdue University - College of Engineering
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - School of Engineering
- Rice University - George R. Brown School of Engineering
- Stanford University - Stanford School of Engineering
- University of Colorado—Boulder - College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
- University of Delaware - College of Engineering
- University of Florida - Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
- University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign - College of Engineering
- University of Maryland—College Park - A. James Clark School of Engineering
- University of Minnesota—Twin Cities - College of Science and Engineering
- University of Pittsburgh - Swanson School of Engineering
- University of Southern California - Viterbi School of Engineering
- University of Texas—Austin - Cockrell School of Engineering
- University of Virginia - School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
- University of Wisconsin—Madison - College of Engineering
- Virginia Tech - College of Engineering
Quick view: Top civil engineering masters recruiters
- Arcadis Inc
- ARCO National Construction Company
- Baker DC
- Bohler Engineering
- Brasfield & Gorrie
- Burgess & Niple
- C&S Companies
- CBG Building Company
- Ceco Concrete Construction
- CESO Inc
- Contech Engineered Solutions
- Corman Construction, Inc
- Corna Kokosing Construction Co
- Cortland Partners
- County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works
- CT Consultants
- Delta Airport Consultants
- Dewberry
- EASi
- ENTACT
- FINFROCK
- Fishbeck Thompson Carr & Huber
- Gateway Engineers
- GeoStabilization International
- Gorove/Slade Associates
- Graycor
- Grunley Construction
- Hayward Baker
- Hensel Phelps
- Herbert, Rowland & Grubic
- Hill International
- HNTB Corporation
- Hodges, Harbin, Newberry & Tribble
- Howard Stein Hudson
- i+icon
- JT3
- Kenmore Construction
- Kimley-Horn
- Manhard Consulting
- Mannik & Smith Group
- Messer Construction Co
- ms consultants
- NewFields Mining Design & Technical Services
- Ohio Department of Transportation
- OHM Advisors
- Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
- Pepper Construction Company of Ohio
- POWER Engineers
- SAI Consulting Engineers
- Skanska USA
- Strand Assoc Inc
- Structural Group
- Surveying & Mapping
- Syska Hennessy Group
- The City of Los Angeles - Bureau of Engineering
- Trimble
- Ulliman Schutte Construction
- Wexler Associates
- Yorke Engineering
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