Home Schools University of Dayton Civil Engineering
Engineering · Civil Engineering Rank #181 of 220

Civil Engineeringat University of Dayton

Graduates earn $71,411/yr in their first year — about 3.0% above the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $835K; scenarios range from $726K to $876K depending on AI disruption.

Dayton, OH Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
61 SOLID
62
Optimistic
59
Pessimistic
Earnings
$71,411
1-year post-graduation
ROI
3.8x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$835K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
55% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Dayton

Graduates earn $71,411/yr, roughly in line with the $69,097 national median for Civil Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

An earnings multiple of 4.4x means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition, but not by a dramatic margin. Returns are positive but modest.

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 17% gap from the optimistic case.

With first-year pay of $71,411 far exceeding the $26,500 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

Ranked #181 of 220 Civil Engineering programs, University of Dayton falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

Earnings grow from $71,411 to $90,774 over five years — a 27% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career 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
$726K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple3.8x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$835K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score61/100
Earnings Multiple4.4x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$876K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score62/100
Earnings Multiple4.6x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Dayton'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 University of Dayton 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
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 University of Dayton

Other top programs at University of Dayton

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

FAQ

Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at University of Dayton

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Civil Engineering at University of Dayton?

This program scores 61/100 — 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 $725,503 in decade earnings vs $876,197 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.