Civil Engineeringat CUNY City College
Graduates earn $67,194/yr in their first year — about 3.0% below the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $842K; scenarios range from $731K to $884K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at CUNY City College
First-year earnings of $67,194 track close to the $69,097 national median for Civil Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
The 28.7x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 49% task exposure — and the 17% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
At $19,529 in median debt against $67,194 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
Ranked #25 out of 220 programs, CUNY City College's Civil Engineering program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $67,194 to $90,337 shows 34% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to CUNY City College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering Civil Engineering
How CUNY City College stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at CUNY City College
Other highest-scoring programs offered at CUNY City College, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at CUNY City College
How does CUNY City College's Civil Engineering program score?
A score of 74/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. CUNY City College's Civil Engineering graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
How vulnerable is Civil Engineering to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Civil Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 49% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Why does CUNY City College rank so high for Civil Engineering?
The #25 ranking out of 220 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.
How affordable is Civil Engineering at CUNY City College after financial aid?
Sticker price is $29,360, but the average net cost is $13,944 — a 53% discount. For students who qualify for aid, this program is considerably more affordable than it appears.