University of Kentucky Civil Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Civil Engineering graduates of University of Kentucky earn a median $81,031 four years after graduating ($67,044 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $23,625. That is $4,066 below the U.S. median for Civil Engineering graduates ($85,097 across 233 colleges), and ranks 1st of 3 Kentucky colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$81,031

U.S. median for this major: $85,097.

College Scorecard field of study; 95 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$67,044

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$23,625

About 29% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,708.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$18,851 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $34,391. College Scorecard.

University of Kentucky Civil Engineering: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

University of Kentucky graduates$81,031
Kentucky median (3 colleges)$80,681 (+$350)
U.S. median (233 colleges)$85,097 (−$4,066)

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 University of Kentucky's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$12,182$51,8951.1 years
$30–48k$12,119$51,6271.1 years
$48–75k$16,313$69,4931.5 years
$75–110k$21,192$90,2781.9 years
$110k+$26,781$114,0872.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (54% 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 ($81,031) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $47,515 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 Kentucky colleges

Every Kentucky college we cover that reports Civil Engineering graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Kentucky$81,031$23,625$18,85171%
2University of Louisville$80,681$24,503$17,98861%
3Western Kentucky University$75,732$22,100$10,99056%

1 more Kentucky college offers Civil Engineering but has too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Civil Engineering graduates

Civil engineer

Lexington area$103,090
Kentucky$100,930
U.S.$100,840

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +6.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Architectural and Engineering Managers

Lexington area$161,170
Kentucky$147,680
U.S.$171,270

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.5% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Environmental Engineers

Lexington area$107,830
Kentucky$107,520
U.S.$107,110

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 University of Kentucky, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About University of Kentucky

Related majors at University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky Civil Engineering questions

How much do University of Kentucky Civil Engineering graduates earn?

Civil Engineering graduates of University of Kentucky earn a median $81,031 four years after graduating and $67,044 one year after. The U.S. median for Civil Engineering graduates across 233 colleges is $85,097.

How much debt do University of Kentucky Civil Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Civil Engineering graduates of University of Kentucky is $23,625, about 29% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,708.

Is University of Kentucky a good school for Civil Engineering in Kentucky?

On pay, Civil Engineering graduates of University of Kentucky earn $81,031 four years out, $350 above the median for the same major across 3 Kentucky colleges ($80,681) and $4,066 below the U.S. median ($85,097). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does University of Kentucky rank for Civil Engineering in Kentucky?

Of 3 Kentucky colleges reporting Civil Engineering graduate earnings, University of Kentucky ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do Civil Engineering graduates get?

A common career is civil engineer, with a median wage of $103,090 in the Lexington-Fayette, KY 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
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Cite this: “University of Kentucky Civil Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-kentucky/majors/civil-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).