Civil Engineeringat Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Graduates earn $67,260/yr in their first year — about 3.0% below the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $777K; scenarios range from $682K to $811K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
At $67,260/yr, Civil Engineering graduates from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville land near the $69,097 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 15.0x 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 16% gap from the optimistic case.
The median debt load of $20,264 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
At #105 of 220 Civil Engineering programs, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville scores above the median — competitive but not a standout.
Earnings grow from $67,260 to $83,754 over five years — a 25% 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 Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville'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-Edwardsville stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Civil Engineering at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville?
This program scores 70/100 — placing it among the stronger programs for Civil Engineering nationally. The score reflects above-average earnings, manageable AI risk, and solid financial return.
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 $682,426 in decade earnings vs $810,870 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.