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Engineering · Civil Engineering Rank #80 of 220

Civil Engineeringat University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Graduates earn $70,542/yr in their first year — about 2.0% above the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $732K; scenarios range from $649K to $760K depending on AI disruption.

Lincoln, NE Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
72 STRONG
73
Optimistic
70
Pessimistic
Earnings
$70,542
1-year post-graduation
ROI
18.7x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$732K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
55% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Nebraska

First-year earnings of $70,542 track close to the $69,097 national median for Civil Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

The 18.1x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 49% task exposure — and the 15% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

At $25,000 in median debt against $70,542 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

Ranked #80 out of 220 programs, University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Civil Engineering offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

Earnings growth is modest: $70,542 to $79,612 over five years (13% gain). This field may have a lower salary ceiling than high-growth professions.

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
$649K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score70/100
Earnings Multiple16.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$732K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score72/100
Earnings Multiple18.1x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$760K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score73/100
Earnings Multiple18.8x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Other top programs at University of Nebraska

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

FAQ

Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at University of Nebraska

How does University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Civil Engineering program score?

A score of 72/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Civil Engineering graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.

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.