Civil Engineeringat Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Graduates earn $76,419/yr in their first year — about 11.0% above the national Civil Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $893K; scenarios range from $769K to $942K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at WPI
First-year earnings of $76,419 at Worcester Polytechnic Institute come in 11% above the national median of $69,097 for Civil Engineering programs.
At 3.8x tuition cost in decade earnings, the ROI is moderate. This program pays for itself, but it's not a financial slam-dunk.
The 18% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Civil Engineering career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.
With first-year pay of $76,419 far exceeding the $27,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
A #178 ranking among 220 Civil Engineering programs places Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the lower half. Price, proximity, and personal fit become the stronger arguments.
A 28% earnings increase from $76,419 to $97,994 over five years is solid — not a moonshot, but evidence of normal career advancement.
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 WPI'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 WPI stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at WPI
Other highest-scoring programs offered at WPI, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Civil Engineering at WPI
What does a 61/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Civil Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute?
At 61/100, 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 Worcester Polytechnic Institute?
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.