Civil Engineeringat Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Graduates earn $74,285/yr in their first year — about 8.0% above the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $772K; scenarios range from $679K to $805K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Virginia Tech
Graduates earn $74,285/yr, edging above the $69,097 national average for Civil Engineering — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.
With a 12.5x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.
The 16% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Civil Engineering career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.
At $25,000 in median debt against $74,285 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
A #119 ranking among 220 Civil Engineering programs places Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the lower half. Price, proximity, and personal fit become the stronger arguments.
The limited growth from $74,285 to $84,707 over five years suggests earnings in this field plateau relatively early in one's career.
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 Virginia Tech'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 Virginia Tech stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Virginia Tech
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Virginia Tech, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech
What does a 70/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Civil Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University?
At 70/100, the score looks reasonable — but Civil Engineering is a high-scoring field overall. Compared to peers, this program's earnings and ROI fall below the median.
Should I worry about AI if I study Civil Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University?
The 49% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.