Civil Engineeringat Washington State University
Graduates earn $74,841/yr in their first year — about 8.0% above the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $813K; scenarios range from $709K to $852K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Washington State University
Washington State University's Civil Engineering graduates start at $74,841/yr — above the $69,097 national average, though not by a wide margin.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 15.6x 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 17% gap from the optimistic case.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $20,780 in median debt clears quickly against $74,841 in annual earnings.
At #61 of 220 Civil Engineering programs, Washington State University scores above the median — competitive but not a standout.
Five-year earnings of $89,281 are relatively flat compared to the $74,841 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 Washington State University'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 Washington State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Washington State University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Washington State University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at Washington State University
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Civil Engineering at Washington State University?
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 $709,301 in decade earnings vs $851,626 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.