Civil Engineeringat Purdue University-Main Campus
Graduates earn $74,369/yr in their first year — about 8.0% above the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $779K; scenarios range from $684K to $814K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Purdue University
Graduates earn $74,369/yr, edging above the $69,097 national average for Civil Engineering — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.
With a 19.5x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.
The 16% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Civil Engineering career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.
At $19,500 in median debt against $74,369 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
Purdue University-Main Campus ranks #32 among 220 Civil Engineering programs, placing it in the top 5% nationally by our financial outcomes measure.
The limited growth from $74,369 to $85,536 over five years suggests earnings in this field plateau relatively early in one's career.
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 Purdue 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 Purdue University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Purdue University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Purdue University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at Purdue University
What does a 74/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Civil Engineering at Purdue University-Main Campus?
At 74/100, 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 Purdue University-Main Campus?
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 Purdue University-Main Campus one of the best schools for Civil Engineering?
Among 220 Civil Engineering programs, Purdue University-Main Campus's #32 position reflects consistently above-average results across earnings, ROI, and employment probability.