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Engineering · Civil Engineering Rank #186 of 220

Civil Engineeringat Syracuse University

Graduates earn $74,748/yr in their first year — about 8.0% above the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $889K; scenarios range from $765K to $936K depending on AI disruption.

Syracuse, NY Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
60 SOLID
62
Optimistic
58
Pessimistic
Earnings
$74,748
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.8x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$889K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
55% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Syracuse University

First-year earnings of $74,748 at Syracuse University come in 8% above the national median of $69,097 for Civil Engineering programs.

The 3.5x return on tuition is positive but not overwhelming. Financial outcomes depend on keeping costs close to in-state rates.

AI risk is moderate — 49% task exposure — and the 18% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $74,748 far exceeding the $27,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

At #186 out of 220 programs, Syracuse University's financial outcomes for Civil Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $74,748 to $97,093 shows 30% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

AI Outlook Integration

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.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$765K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score58/100
Earnings Multiple3.0x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$889K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score60/100
Earnings Multiple3.5x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$936K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score62/100
Earnings Multiple3.7x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Syracuse University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Civil Engineering graduates typically work

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.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Petroleum engineers
+1.3% 10-yr growth · 1,200 openings/yr
$141,280/yr
High
3
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
4
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
5
Environmental engineers
+3.9% 10-yr growth · 3,000 openings/yr
$104,170/yr
High
6
Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
+0.7% 10-yr growth · 400 openings/yr
$101,020/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Civil Engineering

How Syracuse University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Loyola Marymount University
CA · Private nonprofit
53
DW Score
$88K
1-yr earn
2.7x
ROI
University of Southern California
CA · Private nonprofit
65
DW Score
$85K
1-yr earn
3.3x
ROI
Top score
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
77
DW Score
$81K
1-yr earn
21.9x
ROI
Same state (NY)
Cornell University
NY · Private nonprofit
61
DW Score
$80K
1-yr earn
2.8x
ROI
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public
75
DW Score
$78K
1-yr earn
16.6x
ROI
Also at Syracuse University

Other top programs at Syracuse University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Syracuse University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at Syracuse University

How does Syracuse University's Civil Engineering program score?

A score of 60/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Syracuse University trails the majority of Civil Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

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.