U.S. median for this major: $85,097.
College Scorecard field of study; 62 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 26% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,708.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $28,919. College Scorecard.
SIUE Civil Engineering: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Civil Engineering nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses SIUE's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $8,483 | $37,834 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $8,587 | $38,298 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $11,116 | $49,577 | 1.0 years |
| $75–110k | $19,351 | $86,305 | 1.7 years |
| $110k+ | $24,684 | $110,091 | 2.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (33% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Civil Engineering graduates 4 years after graduating ($85,969) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $50,172 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Civil Engineering at Illinois colleges
Every Illinois college we cover that reports Civil Engineering graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $91,650 | $19,054 | $14,355 | 85% |
| 2 | Illinois Institute of Technology | $87,884 | $26,000 | $18,425 | 75% |
| 3 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | $85,969 | $22,275 | $14,889 | 57% |
| 4 | Bradley University | $83,801 | $27,000 | $22,719 | 76% |
| 5 | University of Illinois Chicago | $83,680 | $24,382 | $10,974 | 62% |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $81,888 | $19,781 | $13,297 | 62% |
2 more Illinois colleges offer Civil Engineering but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Civil Engineering graduates
Civil engineer
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +6.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Architectural and Engineering Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.5% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Environmental Engineers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +6.3% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at SIUE, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About SIUE
- Acceptance rate: 98% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 57% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $56,346
- Full cost breakdown · all 47 majors · overview
Related majors at SIUE
- Electrical Engineering$99,325
- Mechanical Engineering$81,428
- Industrial Engineering$82,744
SIUE Civil Engineering questions
How much do SIUE Civil Engineering graduates earn?
Civil Engineering graduates of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn a median $85,969 four years after graduating and $67,260 one year after. The U.S. median for Civil Engineering graduates across 233 colleges is $85,097.
How much debt do SIUE Civil Engineering graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Civil Engineering graduates of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $22,275, about 26% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,708.
Is SIUE a good school for Civil Engineering in Illinois?
On pay, Civil Engineering graduates of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn $85,969 four years out, $1,084 above the median for the same major across 6 Illinois colleges ($84,885) and $872 above the U.S. median ($85,097). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does SIUE rank for Civil Engineering in Illinois?
Of 6 Illinois colleges reporting Civil Engineering graduate earnings, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranks 3rd. The highest is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign at $91,650.
What jobs do Civil Engineering graduates get?
A common career is civil engineer, with a median wage of $96,830 in the St. Louis, MO-IL area and $100,840 nationally. Others include architectural and engineering managers and environmental engineers.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Civil Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/majors/civil-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).