Best institutions to study Civil Engineering in California
The Civil Engineering program focuses on the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, and water supply systems. This program is ideal for students interested in applying engineering…
Top 10 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings
Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard).
| # | Institution | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Completions | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $87,790 | 19 | 79% | $36,488 | $27,000 |
| 2 | University of Southern California Los Angeles Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $85,262 | 87 | 92% | $26,873 | $8,125 |
| 3 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $84,883 | 30 | 88% | $44,094 | — |
| 4 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo Public · Bachelor's degree | $80,673 | 164 | 86% | — | $20,424 |
| 5 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley Public · Bachelor's degree | $78,142 | 376 | 93% | — | $14,392 |
| 6 | California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona Public · Bachelor's degree | $75,758 | 285 | 68% | — | $16,500 |
| 7 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles Public · Bachelor's degree | $75,510 | 186 | 93% | — | $19,444 |
| 8 | University of California - Davis Davis Public · Bachelor's degree | $75,165 | 202 | 86% | — | $16,101 |
| 9 | University of California - Irvine Irvine Public · Bachelor's degree | $73,835 | 121 | 87% | — | $19,700 |
| 10 | San Diego State University San Diego Public · Bachelor's degree | $73,584 | 177 | 76% | — | $19,832 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051).
Top skills
What Civil Engineers earn in California
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Civil Engineering programs in California.
Which Civil Engineering program in California has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (College Scorecard), Loyola Marymount University tops the list at $87,790. Compare it against completions, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do Civil Engineers earn in California?+
The average annual wage for Civil Engineers in California is $124,540 (median $122,500), across about 55,180 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What is the focus of the Civil Engineering program?+
The Civil Engineering program focuses on the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, and water supply systems. This program is ideal for students interested in applying engineering…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop active listening, reading comprehension, critical thinking, speaking, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for Civil Engineers?+
The national job outlook is about +5.0% growth with around 23,600 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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