Civil Engineering at Santa Clara University

Santa Clara's civil engineering graduates earn $84,883 in their first year—placing this program in the 95th percentile nationally and competitive with USC and LMU, the state's top earners. While the $27,000 debt figure is estimated from comparable California programs rather than reported outcomes for Santa Clara specifically, it suggests a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.32, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in about four months of gross income. That's a strong financial position for entering the workforce.

The earnings trajectory shows steady growth to just over $100,000 by year four, though the 19% increase is modest compared to some engineering fields where early-career advancement can be more dramatic. What's interesting here is that Santa Clara's outcomes eclipse even UC Berkeley's despite Berkeley's stronger brand recognition in engineering—likely reflecting Silicon Valley's premium on local connections and Santa Clara's industry relationships. The school's 44% admission rate and high SAT scores suggest selectivity without being impossibly competitive.

For a private university in one of the country's most expensive regions, these numbers work. The estimated debt burden appears manageable against strong first-year earnings, and graduates are landing in the upper tier of California's competitive civil engineering market. The main caveat is that we're working with estimated debt figures, so families should verify actual financial aid packages, but the earnings outcomes themselves are solid and verifiable.