Civil Engineeringat Iowa State University
Graduates earn $72,502/yr in their first year — about 5.0% above the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $789K; scenarios range from $692K to $825K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Iowa State University
First-year earnings of $72,502 track close to the $69,097 national median for Civil Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
The 18.8x 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 16% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
At $24,477 in median debt against $72,502 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
Ranked #43 out of 220 programs, Iowa State University's Civil Engineering program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.
Earnings growth is modest: $72,502 to $86,261 over five years (19% gain). This field may have a lower salary ceiling than high-growth professions.
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 Iowa State University'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 Iowa State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Iowa State University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Iowa State University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at Iowa State University
How does Iowa State University's Civil Engineering program score?
A score of 73/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. Iowa State University'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 Iowa State University rank so high for Civil Engineering?
The #43 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.