U.S. median for this major: $85,097.
College Scorecard field of study; 142 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 21% 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 $33,642. College Scorecard.
UIUC 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 UIUC'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 | $2,038 | $8,458 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $5,373 | $22,298 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $7,982 | $33,125 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $15,152 | $62,881 | 1.1 years |
| $110k+ | $28,761 | $119,358 | 2.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (73% 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 ($91,650) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $55,853 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 UIUC, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About UIUC
- Acceptance rate: 42% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 85% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $81,054
- Full cost breakdown · all 102 majors · overview
Related majors at UIUC
- Electrical Engineering$111,783
- Engineering—
- Mechanical Engineering$95,329
- Industrial Engineering$103,143
- Architecture—
UIUC Civil Engineering questions
How much do UIUC Civil Engineering graduates earn?
Civil Engineering graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earn a median $91,650 four years after graduating and $73,397 one year after. The U.S. median for Civil Engineering graduates across 233 colleges is $85,097.
How much debt do UIUC Civil Engineering graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Civil Engineering graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is $19,054, about 21% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,708.
Is UIUC a good school for Civil Engineering in Illinois?
On pay, Civil Engineering graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earn $91,650 four years out, $6,765 above the median for the same major across 6 Illinois colleges ($84,885) and $6,553 above the U.S. median ($85,097). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does UIUC rank for Civil Engineering in Illinois?
Of 6 Illinois colleges reporting Civil Engineering graduate earnings, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Civil Engineering graduates get?
A common career is civil engineer, with a median wage of $98,910 in the Champaign-Urbana, IL area and $100,840 nationally. Others include architectural and engineering managers and environmental engineers.
Is UIUC the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing UIUC with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
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: “University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Civil Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/civil-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).