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Engineering · Civil Engineering Rank #2 of 220

Civil Engineeringat California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Graduates earn $75,758/yr in their first year — about 10.0% above the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $914K; scenarios range from $784K to $965K depending on AI disruption.

Pomona, CA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
77 STRONG
79
Optimistic
74
Pessimistic
Earnings
$75,758
1-year post-graduation
ROI
32.6x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$914K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
55% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Cal Poly Pomona

Cal Poly Pomona’s Civil Engineering program excels due to its "learn by doing" philosophy, which means you'll graduate with highly practical, job-ready skills. Situated in the dynamic Southern California market, you’re at the epicenter of significant infrastructure development and urban planning projects. This creates a robust regional demand for skilled civil engineers and direct pipelines to major employers like Caltrans, AECOM, and numerous local municipal and private engineering firms. While the field faces high AI risk, your hands-on education here equips you to leverage new technologies effectively rather than be replaced by them. Focus on developing strong critical thinking and project management skills, which remain invaluable as the industry evolves.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$784K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score74/100
Earnings Multiple26.4x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$914K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score77/100
Earnings Multiple30.7x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$965K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score79/100
Earnings Multiple32.4x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Cal Poly Pomona's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Civil Engineering graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Petroleum engineers
+1.3% 10-yr growth · 1,200 openings/yr
$141,280/yr
High
3
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
4
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
5
Environmental engineers
+3.9% 10-yr growth · 3,000 openings/yr
$104,170/yr
High
6
Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
+0.7% 10-yr growth · 400 openings/yr
$101,020/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Civil Engineering

How Cal Poly Pomona stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Loyola Marymount University
CA · Private nonprofit
53
DW Score
$88K
1-yr earn
2.7x
ROI
Same state (CA)
University of Southern California
CA · Private nonprofit
65
DW Score
$85K
1-yr earn
3.3x
ROI
Top score
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
77
DW Score
$81K
1-yr earn
21.9x
ROI
Cornell University
NY · Private nonprofit
61
DW Score
$80K
1-yr earn
2.8x
ROI
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public
75
DW Score
$78K
1-yr earn
16.6x
ROI
Also at Cal Poly Pomona

Other top programs at Cal Poly Pomona

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Cal Poly Pomona, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona

What does a 77/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Civil Engineering at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona?

At 77/100, this is a high-performing program. The DegreeOutlook Score combines earnings, AI resilience, and ROI — and this program delivers on all three.

Should I worry about AI if I study Civil Engineering at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona?

The 49% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.

Is California State Polytechnic University-Pomona one of the best schools for Civil Engineering?

Among 220 Civil Engineering programs, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona's #2 position reflects consistently above-average results across earnings, ROI, and employment probability.