Civil Engineering Schools and Programs in The United States

Civil Engineering Studies in The United States

Civil engineering is the branch of engineering behind buildings and public infrastructure. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), civil engineers plan, design and supervise the construction and maintenance of building and infrastructure projects, such as bridges, roads, tunnels, and water and sewage systems. SpainExchange lists 77 colleges and universities in the United States that teach civil engineering.

How the degree is organised

The usual first degree is a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Civil Engineering. A bachelor's degree usually takes four years of full-time study, and each university sets the number of credits needed to graduate. According to BLS, civil engineering programmes include coursework in mathematics, physics, engineering mechanics and construction systems, with a mix of academic learning and laboratory work. Some universities run cooperative education (co-op) programmes; at others, students take internships to gain practical experience.

Many departments combine civil with environmental or construction engineering, and students often choose a concentration. Tennessee Tech University, for example, offers its Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with concentrations in construction engineering and management, environmental engineering and geological engineering. BLS describes four common specialisms: construction, geotechnical, structural and transportation engineering. At Stanford University, all undergraduates enter with their major undeclared and must declare it by the spring quarter of their second year.

The two main graduate degrees are the master's degree, which usually takes about two years, and the PhD. Some schools, such as the Georgia Institute of Technology, also list a combined BS/MS programme. Community colleges award two-year associate degrees: according to BLS, an associate degree, preferably in civil engineering technology, is the typical entry route for civil engineering technicians, who help engineers plan and build projects.

Accreditation and the engineering licence

In the United States, academic accreditation is voluntary and carried out by non-governmental organisations. For engineering, the main body is ABET, which accredits individual programmes, not whole universities, at associate, bachelor's and master's level. ABET states that it accredits 4,863 programmes at 950 colleges and universities in 42 countries, and that its accreditation is not a ranking. Stanford, for example, marks its civil engineering major as ABET accredited. BLS notes that employers usually prefer graduates of accredited programmes.

The licence matters more in civil engineering than in most other branches. It is not required for entry-level jobs, but civil engineers typically must be licensed if they provide services directly to the public. The Professional Engineer (PE) licence is issued by each state. According to the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), licensing boards generally require a bachelor's degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited programme, and most states require four years of work experience besides the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and PE exams. Graduates who plan to work in another country should check there how a US degree and licence are recognised.

Admission, language and costs

Teaching is in English, and universities require an English proficiency test before admission. Each university sets its own requirements, so its international admissions page is the reference; EducationUSA advises starting the search 12 to 18 months before the planned start. For a full degree, international students need a student visa: once accepted by a school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), the international student office issues the Form I-20 used in the visa application.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), average tuition and fees at 4-year institutions in 2022-23 were $9,800 at public institutions and $40,700 at private nonprofit institutions. The public figure is the in-state rate, so check what each university charges non-residents. Starting at a community college, which is usually cheaper, and transferring to a university after two years can lower the total cost of a bachelor's degree.

Where to study civil engineering

Pittsburgh has three schools on the list: the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Point Park University. Philadelphia has Drexel University and Temple University, Miami has the University of Miami and Florida International University, and Nashville has Vanderbilt University and Nashville State Technical Community College. Large public universities make up much of the rest, among them Purdue University, whose Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering is in West Lafayette, The Pennsylvania State University, whose department was established in 1881, the University of Michigan and The University of California at Berkeley. Private universities include Stanford, Cornell University in Ithaca and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and the Colorado School of Mines are universities specialised in engineering and science.

Careers

BLS counts about 380,600 civil engineering jobs in 2025 and projects employment to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 22,700 openings a year. Engineering services firms employ 51% of civil engineers; state governments employ 11% and local governments 10%.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a civil engineering degree take in the United States?

A bachelor's degree usually takes four years of full-time study. A master's degree usually adds about two years.

Do civil engineers need a licence in the United States?

Not for entry-level jobs. According to BLS, civil engineers typically must hold a Professional Engineer (PE) licence if they provide services directly to the public, and each state issues its own licences.

Why does ABET accreditation matter?

According to NCEES, state licensing boards generally require PE candidates to have a bachelor's degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited programme. ABET accreditation is a form of quality assurance, not a ranking.

Can I start civil engineering at a community college?

Yes. According to EducationUSA, a bachelor's degree can be earned with two years of community college followed by two years of university study; check in advance which credits the university accepts.