Civil Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin

UT Austin's civil engineering program outpaces the national median by $6,000 annually while keeping debt manageable at $21,030—28 cents owed for every dollar earned in year one. That's a strong financial foundation for graduates entering the construction and infrastructure sectors. However, within Texas, the picture is more nuanced: UT Austin ranks at the 60th percentile, essentially middle-of-the-pack among the state's 20 civil engineering programs. Texas A&M edges ahead by about $700 in first-year earnings, and even Texas Tech nearly matches these outcomes at presumably lower admission barriers.

The steadier story here is the program's reliability. With 100+ graduates in the dataset and earnings climbing 9% by year four to $82,000, this isn't a volatile or unpredictable investment. The 95th percentile national ranking matters if your child is comparing UT Austin to out-of-state options, where most civil engineering programs struggle to break $70,000 in starting pay.

For Texas families, this program delivers solid ROI without the standout earnings premium you might expect from a selective flagship. If your child has admission offers from A&M or Houston, the financial outcomes are remarkably similar—meaning fit, location preference, and specific faculty strengths should drive the decision more than salary projections. For out-of-state applicants paying higher tuition, the calculus shifts: you'd be paying premium prices for what is nationally excellent but regionally competitive performance.