Civil Engineering at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

LSU's civil engineering program sits in an interesting middle ground: while it trails the national median by about $2,000 in starting salary, it outperforms most Louisiana programs and keeps debt manageable at $22,486. The real story emerges when you zoom into the state context—this program ranks in the 60th percentile among Louisiana engineering schools, beating four of the five other programs in the state. Only UL Lafayette's graduates earn notably more at $69,177.

The debt picture works in LSU's favor. Graduates leave owing about $4,500 less than the state median and roughly $2,000 less than the national benchmark. Combined with a 0.33 debt-to-earnings ratio, most graduates can reasonably handle their loan payments while building careers. The 15% salary bump from year one to year four suggests steady professional progression, though it doesn't dramatically change the overall value calculation.

For Louisiana families, this represents a solid regional option—particularly if your child qualifies for in-state tuition. The program won't catapult graduates to the top of national salary rankings, but it delivers competitive Louisiana outcomes with below-average debt. If your student is weighing LSU against UL Lafayette, the $1,600 salary difference might matter less than other factors like location and campus fit.