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Engineering · Civil Engineering Rank #203 of 220

Civil Engineeringat Drexel University

Graduates earn $72,087/yr in their first year — about 4.0% above the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $813K; scenarios range from $710K to $852K depending on AI disruption.

Philadelphia, PA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
58 SOLID
60
Optimistic
56
Pessimistic
Earnings
$72,087
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.7x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$813K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
55% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Drexel University

Graduates earn $72,087/yr, roughly in line with the $69,097 national median for Civil Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

An earnings multiple of 3.4x means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition, but not by a dramatic margin. Returns are positive but modest.

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 17% gap from the optimistic case.

With first-year pay of $72,087 far exceeding the $31,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

Ranked #203 of 220 Civil Engineering programs, Drexel University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

Earnings grow from $72,087 to $88,709 over five years — a 23% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career progression.

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
$710K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score56/100
Earnings Multiple2.9x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$813K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score58/100
Earnings Multiple3.4x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$852K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score60/100
Earnings Multiple3.5x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Drexel University'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 Drexel University 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 Drexel University

Other top programs at Drexel University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Drexel University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at Drexel University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Civil Engineering at Drexel University?

This program scores 58/100 — a respectable number in isolation, but it ranks in the bottom half of Civil Engineering programs nationally. The field is competitive, and stronger options exist.

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 $709,564 in decade earnings vs $852,026 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.