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Engineering · Civil Engineering Rank #68 of 220

Civil Engineeringat Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Graduates earn $73,326/yr in their first year — about 6.0% above the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $784K; scenarios range from $688K to $820K depending on AI disruption.

Fort Collins, CO Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
72 STRONG
73
Optimistic
70
Pessimistic
Earnings
$73,326
1-year post-graduation
ROI
15.7x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$784K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
55% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Colorado State University-Fort Collins's Civil Engineering graduates start at $73,326/yr — above the $69,097 national average, though not by a wide margin.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 15.2x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Civil Engineering programs nationally.

Some AI exposure exists in Civil Engineering's typical career paths, with 49% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 16% gap from the optimistic case.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $25,000 in median debt clears quickly against $73,326 in annual earnings.

At #68 of 220 Civil Engineering programs, Colorado State University-Fort Collins scores above the median — competitive but not a standout.

Five-year earnings of $85,902 are relatively flat compared to the $73,326 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.

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
$688K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score70/100
Earnings Multiple13.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$784K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score72/100
Earnings Multiple15.2x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$820K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score73/100
Earnings Multiple15.9x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Colorado State University-Fort Collins'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 Colorado State University-Fort Collins 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
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 Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Other top programs at Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Colorado State University-Fort Collins, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at Colorado State University-Fort Collins

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Civil Engineering at Colorado State University-Fort Collins?

This program scores 72/100 — placing it among the stronger programs for Civil Engineering nationally. The score reflects above-average earnings, manageable AI risk, and solid financial return.

Will AI replace Civil Engineering careers?

With 49% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $688,145 in decade earnings vs $819,542 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.