Best institutions to study Transportation and Highway Engineering
A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of total systems for the physical movement of people, materials and information, including general network design and planning, facilities planning, site evaluation, transportation management systems, needs projections and analysis, and analysis of costs.
14 U.S. institutions graduated 122 Transportation and Highway Engineering students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 14.0804, a specialization of Civil Engineering (CIP 14.08), and leads most directly to the Civil Engineers occupation (BLS SOC 17-2051).
About Transportation and Highway Engineering programs
A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of total systems for the physical movement of people, materials and information, including general network design and planning, facilities planning, site evaluation, transportation management systems, needs projections and analysis, and analysis of costs.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Transportation and Highway Engineering program, a specialization within Civil Engineering, prepares students to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development, and evaluation of transportation systems. This program is ideal for individuals interested in enhancing the physical movement of people, materials, and information through effective network design and planning.
Students will gain core skills in areas such as design, engineering technology, and mathematics. Coursework typically includes topics like transportation management systems, site evaluation, and cost analysis, equipping graduates with the knowledge necessary to tackle complex engineering challenges.
Credentials awarded
What Transportation and Highway Engineering graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Master's degree85 graduates / yr · 9 institutions70%
- Doctor's degree - research/scholarship14 graduates / yr · 5 institutions12%
- Bachelor's degree13 graduates / yr · 2 institutions11%
- Postbaccalaureate certificate7 graduates / yr · 2 institutions5.7%
- Award of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year3 graduates / yr · 2 institutions2.5%
Graduates over time
Transportation and Highway Engineering completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 114 |
| 2013 | 101 |
| 2014 | 117 |
| 2015 | 116 |
| 2016 | 142 |
| 2017 | 122 |
| 2018 | 121 |
| 2019 | 124 |
| 2020 | 119 |
| 2021 | 131 |
| 2022 | 129 |
| 2023 | 130 |
| 2024 | 127 |
| 2025 | 122 |
Top 14 institutions for Transportation and Highway Engineering, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Field earnings* (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WAPublicMaster's | 40 | 85% | — | $73,357 |
| 2 | New York University New York, NYPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sDoctoral | 13 | 88% | $29,023 | $72,628 |
| 3 | University of California - Davis Davis, CAPublicMaster'sDoctoral | 12 | 86% | — | $75,165 |
| 4 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, ILPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 10 | 75% | $19,899 | $71,760 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Altoona Altoona, PAPublicBachelor's | 9 | 17% | — | — |
| 6 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CAPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 8 | 92% | $26,873 | $85,262 |
| 7 | Morgan State University Baltimore, MDPublicBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral | 8 | 41% | — | $70,667 |
| 8 | University of Louisville Louisville, KYPublicPost-degree cert. | 6 | 61% | — | $66,064 |
| 9 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MAPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sDoctoral | 5 | 96% | $11,666 | — |
| 10 | New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJPublicMaster's | 4 | 73% | — | $68,288 |
| 11 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NYPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sDoctoral | 3 | 84% | $28,900 | $71,790 |
| 12 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OHPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 2 | 75% | — | $71,377 |
| 13 | Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FLPublicPost-degree cert. | 1 | 63% | — | $64,671 |
| 14 | Rowan University Glassboro, NJPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 1 | 67% | — | $67,362 |
* Median earnings 1 year after graduation for the broader Civil Engineering field (CIP 14.08) at these institutions; College Scorecard does not publish earnings at the 6-digit level.
Offered in 11 states
Where Transportation and Highway Engineering graduates come from. Each state links to all Civil Engineering programs offered there.
| State | Institutions | Graduates / yr | Top institution by graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 1 | 40 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus40 / yr |
| California | 2 | 20 | University of California - Davis12 / yr |
| New York | 2 | 16 | New York University13 / yr |
| Illinois | 1 | 10 | Illinois Institute of Technology10 / yr |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 9 | Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Altoona9 / yr |
| Maryland | 1 | 8 | Morgan State University8 / yr |
| Kentucky | 1 | 6 | University of Louisville6 / yr |
| New Jersey | 2 | 5 | New Jersey Institute of Technology4 / yr |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 5 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology5 / yr |
| Ohio | 1 | 2 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus2 / yr |
| Florida | 1 | 1 | Florida Atlantic University1 / yr |
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 17-2051, Civil Engineers, and its national outlook.
Graduates of this program can pursue careers as Civil Engineers, Architectural and Engineering Managers, or Engineering Teachers. With an expected job growth rate of 5% and approximately 23,600 annual openings, the median wage for this field is around $99,590, typically requiring at least a Bachelor's degree.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 14.0804
The occupations the NCES crosswalk maps this 6-digit code to, with BLS pay and 10-year outlook.
| Occupation | US median pay | Growth | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Civil Engineersprimary SOC 17-2051 | $100,840 | +5.0% Faster than average | ~23,600 | Bachelor's degree |
Architectural and Engineering Managers SOC 11-9041 | $171,270 | +3.8% About as fast as average | ~14,500 | Bachelor's degree |
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary SOC 25-1032 | $109,270 | +8.1% Much faster than average | ~4,100 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Related careers
Skills & knowledge in Transportation and Highway Engineering programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this specialization most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
Abilities that matter most
Day-to-day work activities
What graduates do on the job
- Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
- Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site.
- Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.
- Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.
- Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools.
- Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, program modifications, or structural repairs.
Tools and technology used
Other Civil Engineering specializations
The 5 other 6-digit CIP codes under Civil Engineering (CIP 14.08).
- Civil EngineeringCIP 14.080119,047 graduates / yr307 institutions
- Structural EngineeringCIP 14.0803385 graduates / yr24 institutions
- Civil EngineeringCIP 14.0899207 graduates / yr16 institutions
- Water Resources EngineeringCIP 14.080540 graduates / yr11 institutions
- Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental EngineeringCIP 14.0802partial data19 graduates / yr7 institutions
Common questions
What degrees are offered in this program?+
The program offers Master's degrees, Doctor's degrees, Bachelor's degrees, and Postbaccalaureate certificates.
How many colleges offer this program in the U.S.?+
There are 14 colleges in the U.S. that offer the Transportation and Highway Engineering program.
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop skills in active listening, critical thinking, mathematics, and design.
What is the job outlook for graduates?+
The job outlook is faster than average, with a growth rate of 5% and 23,600 annual openings.
What is the CIP code for Transportation and Highway Engineering?+
Transportation and Highway Engineering is CIP 14.0804 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within Civil Engineering (CIP 14.08). NCES defines it as: A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of total systems for the physical movement of people, materials and information, including general network design and planning, facilities planning, site evaluation, transportation management systems, needs projections and analysis, and analysis of costs.
How many institutions offer Transportation and Highway Engineering programs?+
14 U.S. institutions reported Transportation and Highway Engineering graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 11 states, awarding 122 credentials in the year. That is 0.6% of all Civil Engineering graduates.
How much do Transportation and Highway Engineering graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The Civil Engineers occupation, which Transportation and Highway Engineering most directly leads to, pays a median of $100,840 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025), and graduates of the broader Civil Engineering field report median earnings of $71,760 one year after graduation (College Scorecard).
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.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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