Civil Engineeringat Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Graduates earn $70,609/yr in their first year — about 2.0% above the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $827K; scenarios range from $720K to $867K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Rutgers
Graduates earn $70,609/yr, roughly in line with the $69,097 national median for Civil Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 12.0x 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 17% gap from the optimistic case.
With first-year pay of $70,609 far exceeding the $25,880 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
Ranked #126 of 220 Civil Engineering programs, Rutgers University-New Brunswick falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Earnings grow from $70,609 to $89,751 over five years — a 27% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career 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 Rutgers'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 Rutgers stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Rutgers
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Rutgers, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at Rutgers
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Civil Engineering at Rutgers University-New Brunswick?
This program scores 69/100 — 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 $719,573 in decade earnings vs $867,206 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.