Home Schools University of Rhode Island Civil Engineering
Engineering · Civil Engineering Rank #154 of 220

Civil Engineeringat University of Rhode Island

Graduates earn $68,728/yr in their first year — about 1.0% below the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $755K; scenarios range from $667K to $787K depending on AI disruption.

Kingston, RI Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
67 SOLID
69
Optimistic
65
Pessimistic
Earnings
$68,728
1-year post-graduation
ROI
11.5x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$755K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
55% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Rhode Island

At $68,728/yr, Civil Engineering graduates from University of Rhode Island land near the $69,097 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.

The 11.5x 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.

The median debt load of $24,231 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

At #154 out of 220 programs, University of Rhode Island's financial outcomes for Civil Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

Earnings growth is modest: $68,728 to $81,840 over five years (19% 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
$667K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score65/100
Earnings Multiple10.2x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$755K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score67/100
Earnings Multiple11.5x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$787K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score69/100
Earnings Multiple12.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Other top programs at University of Rhode Island

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

FAQ

Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at University of Rhode Island

How does University of Rhode Island's Civil Engineering program score?

A score of 67/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of Rhode Island trails the majority of Civil Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

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.