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Engineering · Civil Engineering Rank #162 of 220

Civil Engineeringat University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Graduates earn $66,943/yr in their first year — about 3.0% below the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $827K; scenarios range from $719K to $867K depending on AI disruption.

Pittsburgh, PA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
65 SOLID
67
Optimistic
64
Pessimistic
Earnings
$66,943
1-year post-graduation
ROI
9.3x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$827K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
55% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Pittsburgh

Graduates earn $66,943/yr, roughly in line with the $69,097 national median for Civil Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

The earnings-to-cost ratio of 9.6x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.

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 $66,943 far exceeding the $27,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

Ranked #162 of 220 Civil Engineering programs, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

Earnings grow from $66,943 to $88,756 over five years — a 33% 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
$719K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score64/100
Earnings Multiple8.4x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$827K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score65/100
Earnings Multiple9.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$867K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score67/100
Earnings Multiple10.1x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Other top programs at University of Pittsburgh

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

FAQ

Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at University of Pittsburgh

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Civil Engineering at University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus?

This program scores 65/100 — 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 $719,447 in decade earnings vs $867,014 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.