Civil Engineering at Loyola Marymount University

LMU's civil engineering program launches graduates into six-figure territory faster than almost anywhere in the country, with first-year earnings of $87,790 putting it in the 95th percentile nationally. That $27,000 in debt—which grads earn back in just four months—comes in well below the national median. The catch? California has excellent public engineering options, and this program sits solidly middle-of-the-pack within the state at the 60th percentile, trailing Cal Poly SLO by about $7,000 and Berkeley by nearly $10,000.

The real comparison here is USC and Santa Clara, the private alternatives that match LMU's outcomes at similar price points. LMU essentially delivers comparable results to these peer institutions, with graduates entering the competitive LA engineering market well-prepared. The 0.31 debt-to-earnings ratio is exceptionally manageable, suggesting the private school premium doesn't translate into problematic debt loads.

The caveat matters: with fewer than 30 graduates in the sample, these numbers could shift year to year. But the pattern is clear enough—if your child is set on a private LA university experience and civil engineering, LMU delivers strong outcomes. If maximizing value is the priority, Cal Poly SLO offers similar placement at in-state tuition rates. Either way, this is a field where California students have unusually good options at every price point.