Civil Engineeringat The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Graduates earn $64,386/yr in their first year — about 7.0% below the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $761K; scenarios range from $671K to $793K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of Tennessee
Graduates earn $64,386/yr, roughly in line with the $69,097 national median for Civil Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
With a 14.1x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.
The 15% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Civil Engineering career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.
With first-year pay of $64,386 far exceeding the $21,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
A #145 ranking among 220 Civil Engineering programs places The University of Tennessee-Knoxville in the lower half. Price, proximity, and personal fit become the stronger arguments.
A 26% earnings increase from $64,386 to $81,419 over five years is solid — not a moonshot, but evidence of normal career advancement.
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 University of Tennessee'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 University of Tennessee stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of Tennessee
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Tennessee, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at University of Tennessee
What does a 68/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Civil Engineering at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?
At 68/100, the score looks reasonable — but Civil Engineering is a high-scoring field overall. Compared to peers, this program's earnings and ROI fall below the median.
Should I worry about AI if I study Civil Engineering at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?
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.