Civil Engineering at The University of Alabama

Alabama's civil engineering program outperforms most in-state alternatives, with graduates earning $70,619 in their first year—about $6,500 more than the state median and topping Auburn's stronger engineering reputation by roughly $2,300. At the 60th percentile statewide, it's the highest-earning civil engineering degree in Alabama based on available data. The debt load of $25,454 translates to a 0.36 ratio, meaning graduates can expect to pay off loans in well under a year of earnings—a comfortable margin for an engineering degree.

The earnings trajectory shows steady, if unspectacular, growth to $78,604 by year four. That 11% increase is solid but not exceptional for engineering, where rapid career progression often happens in the first decade. Still, these graduates enter the workforce with immediately marketable skills and compensation that exceeds national averages for civil engineering programs.

For Alabama families, this represents strong value: competitive starting salaries, manageable debt, and access to a program that performs above the state median despite UA's relatively high 76% admission rate. The $25,454 debt figure sits right at the national median for civil engineering degrees, so you're not overpaying for in-state tuition. This is a practical choice that delivers exactly what civil engineering programs should—stable, above-average earnings with reasonable borrowing costs.