University of Kentucky: Civil Engineering

Bachelor's degree · CIP 14.08 · No credentials fully online · Lexington, KY

Graduates of this program who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $66,518 one year after completing and $81,031 four years after. The median federal loan debt of graduates was $15,000. Nationally, graduates of bachelor's degree programs in this field earned a median of $72,789 one year after completing.

Median earnings, 1 year
$66,518
81 graduates measured Verified data
Median earnings, 4 years
$81,031
Verified data
Median federal debt
$15,000
84 borrowers Verified data
Debt to first-year earnings
0.23x
median debt / median earnings Calculated estimate

This program compared with the national picture

MeasureThis programNational median, same field and credential
Median earnings 1 year after completion$66,518$72,789
Median earnings 4 years after completion$81,031$86,517
Median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS)$15,000$23,456 Median of programs
Estimated monthly payment on median debt (10-year standard)$170
Graduates in the most recent year7013,644 across 327 programs

Earnings cohorts: Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars. Debt cohort: NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort. Debt covers federal loans only and excludes private loans and Parent PLUS loans. Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, before taxes.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Careers this field prepares students for

From the official CIP to SOC crosswalk. Graduates do not all enter these occupations, and occupation wages describe all workers, not new graduates. Official crosswalk

OccupationMedian wage, all workersChange 2025 to 2035
Architectural and engineering managers$171,270+5.5%
Civil engineers$100,840+6.4%
Environmental engineers$107,110+6.3%
Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers$106,220+3.8%
Petroleum engineers$144,910+2.0%
Engineers, all other$122,930+3.7%
Engineering teachers, postsecondary$109,270+7.8%
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Comparable programs with the highest early earnings

SchoolMedian earnings, 1 yrMedian debt
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public
$84,461$11,817
San Francisco State University
CA · Public
$82,059$23,583
University of Southern California
CA · Private, nonprofit
$81,387$18,817
California State University-Chico
CA · Public
$81,083$19,699
University of California-Los Angeles
CA · Public
$80,840$11,471
Seattle University
WA · Private, nonprofit
$79,903Data unavailable
Carnegie Mellon University
PA · Private, nonprofit
$79,750$21,000
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
$79,454$17,066
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
IN · Private, nonprofit
$79,432$26,000
Lafayette College
PA · Private, nonprofit
$79,405Data unavailable

See all Civil Engineering programs and national outcomes

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University of Kentucky Civil Engineering (Bachelor's degree): Earnings and Debt | ConnectPrep Career Intelligence