Construction Engineering: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Construction Engineering graduates earn a median $97,303 four years after finishing — $48,943/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 1.4 years. Federal data pools 36 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 608 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Construction Engineering ranks #12 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 95% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | $116,219 |
| 2 | California State University-Sacramento | CA | $114,594 |
| 3 | Oregon State University | OR | $105,964 |
| 4 | Oregon State University-Cascades Campus | OR | $105,964 |
| 5 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | $102,699 |
| 6 | Texas Tech University | TX | $102,312 |
| 7 | Purdue University-Main Campus | IN | $101,108 |
| 8 | Iowa State University | IA | $100,676 |
| 9 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | NC | $94,505 |
| 10 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | OH | $92,984 |
| 11 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | OH | $82,365 |
| 12 | Bradley University | IL | $82,309 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.