Civil Engineering at Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus

Ohio University-Chillicothe's civil engineering program produces earnings below both the national median ($63,884 vs. $69,574) and most Ohio competitors. While it sits at the 40th percentile within the state—essentially middle-of-the-pack—that still means graduates earn roughly $7,500 less annually than those from programs like Cincinnati or Toledo. The earnings do grow steadily to nearly $70,000 by year four, which closes some of that gap, but early-career earnings matter when you're servicing student loans.

The debt load of $27,000 is reasonable at face value, matching Ohio's median for civil engineering programs and creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.42. However, that calculation assumes first-year earnings that already lag behind peers. Graduates from Cincinnati or Dayton carry similar debt but start $7,000-8,000 higher in salary, which makes a significant difference in how quickly they can pay down loans and build financial stability.

For a regional campus program, this offers a legitimate civil engineering degree at moderate cost, and some students may choose it for proximity or family reasons. But purely from a return-on-investment perspective, prospective students within commuting distance of Cincinnati, Toledo, or even Ohio Northern would likely benefit from comparing total costs. The earnings differential compounds over time, and in a field where starting salary varies by less than 20% across programs, even small advantages matter substantially.