Civil Engineering at Gonzaga University

Gonzaga civil engineering graduates land strong starting salaries at $74,355—outpacing the national median by nearly $5,000 and ranking in the 90th percentile nationally. That's excellent positioning for an accessible program with a 76% admission rate. However, within Washington state, it's a more middle-of-the-pack story, sitting just above the state median and trailing Washington State's outcomes. With seven civil engineering programs in Washington, families paying out-of-state tuition should consider whether Gonzaga justifies the premium over in-state alternatives like WSU or UW-Seattle.

The debt picture is reasonable at $25,000, translating to a manageable 0.34 debt-to-earnings ratio that graduates can typically handle. The concerning element is what happens after that first year: earnings barely budge over the next three years, growing just 1% to $75,346. For a technical field where engineers typically see steady progression, this flat trajectory warrants questions about career advancement or whether graduates are clustering in lower-growth markets.

For Washington residents, Gonzaga delivers competitive outcomes at a reasonable debt level—it's a solid choice if the campus culture fits. For out-of-state families, you're paying private tuition for results that don't meaningfully exceed Washington's public universities. The strong national standing confirms the program's quality, but that first-year salary plateau suggests graduates may need to be more intentional about positioning themselves for advancement.