Civil Engineeringat University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Graduates earn $67,934/yr in their first year — about 2.0% below the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $738K; scenarios range from $654K to $767K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
First-year earnings of $67,934 track close to the $69,097 national median for Civil Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 25.6x 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 15% gap from the optimistic case.
At $22,000 in median debt against $67,934 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
At #47 of 220 nationally, this is a top-5% Civil Engineering program. Financial outcomes consistently outperform the vast majority of peers.
Five-year earnings of $79,801 are relatively flat compared to the $67,934 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 North Carolina at Charlotte'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 North Carolina at Charlotte stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Civil Engineering at University of North Carolina at Charlotte?
This program scores 73/100 — placing it among the stronger programs for Civil Engineering nationally. The score reflects above-average earnings, manageable AI risk, and solid financial return.
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 $653,714 in decade earnings vs $767,325 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
What makes University of North Carolina at Charlotte's Civil Engineering program stand out?
Ranked #47 of 220 programs nationally, University of North Carolina at Charlotte lands in the top 25%. The ranking reflects a combination of graduate earnings, return on investment, and job market alignment.