Civil Engineeringat Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Graduates earn $65,269/yr in their first year — about 6.0% below the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $728K; scenarios range from $646K to $756K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Graduates earn $65,269/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 13.7x 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 15% gap from the optimistic case.
With first-year pay of $65,269 far exceeding the $19,313 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
Ranked #135 of 220 Civil Engineering programs, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Five-year earnings of $78,165 are relatively flat compared to the $65,269 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.
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 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale'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 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Civil Engineering at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale?
This program scores 68/100 — 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 $646,239 in decade earnings vs $755,988 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.