Civil Engineeringat University of Colorado Boulder
Graduates earn $73,033/yr in their first year — about 6.0% above 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 University of Colorado Boulder
Graduates earn $73,033/yr, edging above the $69,097 national average for Civil Engineering — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 11.8x 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.
At $19,318 in median debt against $73,033 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
Ranked #120 of 220 Civil Engineering programs, University of Colorado Boulder falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Five-year earnings of $85,000 are relatively flat compared to the $73,033 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 University of Colorado Boulder'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 Colorado Boulder stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of Colorado Boulder
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Colorado Boulder, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at University of Colorado Boulder
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Civil Engineering at University of Colorado Boulder?
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 $682,368 in decade earnings vs $810,781 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.