Civil Engineering at University of Southern California

USC's civil engineering graduates command impressive starting salaries—$85,262 puts them in the 95th percentile nationally—but context matters here. Within California's competitive engineering market, this program lands at just the 60th percentile, trailing schools like Loyola Marymount ($88K) and Santa Clara ($85K), and only slightly ahead of Cal Poly SLO ($81K) which costs dramatically less. The debt picture looks excellent at first glance—just $8,125 versus a national median of $24,500—but remember that USC charges premium tuition. This likely reflects students from wealthy families (only 22% receive Pell grants) who don't need loans rather than generous aid packages.

The 25% earnings growth to $106,533 by year four is solid, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.10 means even students who do borrow can handle repayment comfortably. However, there's an important caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, making it less reliable than larger samples. A few high earners at top tech companies or consulting firms could skew these numbers upward.

For families paying full freight at USC, the question isn't whether graduates do well—they clearly do—but whether this justifies the cost premium over Cal Poly or UC Berkeley. If your child can secure substantial financial aid or your family budget accommodates USC's price tag easily, the outcomes support the investment. But if significant debt is required, California offers multiple engineering programs that deliver comparable or better earnings at lower cost.