Civil Engineering at Marquette University

Marquette's civil engineering program sits in the middle of Wisconsin's relatively small field of five schools, with first-year earnings of $68,386 falling just below both the state and national medians. For a private university charging significantly more than state schools, this positioning raises questions about value—graduates earn roughly $3,500 less initially than peers at Milwaukee School of Engineering and $3,000 less than UW-Madison grads, while likely carrying substantially higher debt from a private institution.

The program's real strength shows up in two areas: manageable debt and solid growth trajectory. At $27,000, graduates leave with about $2,000 more debt than the national median but still maintain a healthy 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio—meaning they're borrowing less than four months' salary. By year four, earnings climb to $80,636, an 18% gain that suggests strong career progression. This growth trajectory matters more than the modest starting salary, particularly in an engineering field where experience drives compensation.

For families weighing Marquette against Wisconsin's public options, the calculation comes down to net price after financial aid. If your child qualifies for substantial merit aid (Marquette's 87% acceptance rate suggests they recruit aggressively), the roughly $11,500 gap between Marquette and UW-Milwaukee graduates could close within a few years given the comparable growth rates. Without significant aid, however, UW-Madison or Milwaukee School of Engineering offer better combinations of outcomes and cost.