Civil Engineeringat Western Kentucky University
Graduates earn $60,086/yr in their first year — about 13.0% below the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $656K; scenarios range from $594K to $676K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Western Kentucky University
At $60,086/yr, Civil Engineering graduates from Western Kentucky University land near the $69,097 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.
The 14.4x 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 12% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
The median debt load of $21,200 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
At #156 out of 220 programs, Western Kentucky University's financial outcomes for Civil Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
Earnings growth is modest: $60,086 to $69,462 over five years (16% gain). This field may have a lower salary ceiling than high-growth professions.
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 Western Kentucky 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 Western Kentucky University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Western Kentucky University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Western Kentucky University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at Western Kentucky University
How does Western Kentucky University's Civil Engineering program score?
A score of 66/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Western Kentucky University 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.