Location: Durham, NC•In-State Tuition: $65,805•Admission Rate: 7%•Avg SAT: 1539
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$70,346
Est. from NC median (3 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$27,000
Est. from national median (44 programs)

Analysis

Duke's elite reputation doesn't translate to exceptional early-career outcomes in civil engineering, at least based on what comparable NC programs suggest. The estimated first-year salary of $70,346 mirrors the state median exactly—matching what graduates from NC State and NC A&T typically earn despite Duke's 7% admission rate and stratospheric SAT scores. The estimated $27,000 in debt produces a manageable 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio, slightly above the national median debt of $24,500 but not dramatically so.

The real question is whether Duke's premium—in selectivity, if not clearly in price or outcomes for this specific major—delivers advantages that don't show up in first-year salary data. Civil engineering is a licensed, standardized profession where employers care about ABET accreditation and skills rather than institutional prestige. If your child is paying significantly more to attend Duke over NC State (which produces identical earnings estimates), you're banking on intangibles like alumni networks or graduate school placement that these figures can't capture.

The bottom line: This isn't a financial disaster, but it's not obviously a better investment than strong public alternatives in North Carolina. If Duke is offering comparable financial aid to what NC State would cost, the choice makes more sense. If there's a substantial price premium, understand you're paying for the Duke name rather than demonstrably superior engineering earnings.

Where Duke University Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all civil engineering bachelors's programs nationally

Duke University (estimated ±10%)Other civil engineering programs

Dashed lines show national medians. Upper-left = best value.

Compare to Similar Programs in North Carolina

Civil Engineering bachelors's programs at peer institutions in North Carolina (4 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
Duke UniversityDurham$65,805$70,346*—$27,000*—
North Carolina A & T State UniversityGreensboro$6,748$70,474*$69,788$31,000*0.44
North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleigh$8,895$70,346*$76,320$25,000*0.36
University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte$7,214$67,934*$72,461$23,500*0.35
National Median—$69,574*—$24,500*0.35
* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with civil engineering graduates

Architectural and Engineering Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as architecture and engineering or research and development in these fields.

$167,740/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers

Define, plan, or execute biofuels/biodiesel research programs that evaluate alternative feedstock and process technologies with near-term commercial potential.

$167,740/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Petroleum Engineers

Devise methods to improve oil and gas extraction and production and determine the need for new or modified tool designs. Oversee drilling and offer technical advice.

$141,280/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Environmental Engineers

Research, design, plan, or perform engineering duties in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental hazards using various engineering disciplines. Work may include waste treatment, site remediation, or pollution control technology.

$104,170/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers

Conduct subsurface surveys to identify the characteristics of potential land or mining development sites. May specify the ground support systems, processes, and equipment for safe, economical, and environmentally sound extraction or underground construction activities. May inspect areas for unsafe geological conditions, equipment, and working conditions. May design, implement, and coordinate mine safety programs.

$101,020/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Civil Engineers

Perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems.

$99,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Transportation Engineers

Develop plans for surface transportation projects, according to established engineering standards and state or federal construction policy. Prepare designs, specifications, or estimates for transportation facilities. Plan modifications of existing streets, highways, or freeways to improve traffic flow.

$99,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Water/Wastewater Engineers

Design or oversee projects involving provision of potable water, disposal of wastewater and sewage, or prevention of flood-related damage. Prepare environmental documentation for water resources, regulatory program compliance, data management and analysis, and field work. Perform hydraulic modeling and pipeline design.

$99,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses pertaining to the application of physical laws and principles of engineering for the development of machines, materials, instruments, processes, and services. Includes teachers of subjects such as chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, mineral, and petroleum engineering. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Engineers, All Other

All engineers not listed separately.

Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar

Design, develop, or evaluate energy-related projects or programs to reduce energy costs or improve energy efficiency during the designing, building, or remodeling stages of construction. May specialize in electrical systems; heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems; green buildings; lighting; air quality; or energy procurement.

Mechatronics Engineers

Research, design, develop, or test automation, intelligent systems, smart devices, or industrial systems control.

About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Duke University, approximately 13% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 3 similar programs in NC. Actual outcomes may vary.