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Civil Engineering at California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
77 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
78
Optimistic
77
Base Case
74
Pessimistic
Earnings $73,342/yr (6% vs median)
AI Risk High (49% exposed)
Job Market Large (56,100 openings/yr)
ROI 32.2x earnings multiple (12.0x out-of-state)
Ranked #3 of 220 Civil Engineering programs Top 1%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Civil Engineering graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $953K $904K $776K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 34.0x 32.2x 27.7x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 12.6x 12.0x 10.3x
Probability of Field Employment 84% 75% 55%
DegreeOutlook Score 78 77 74

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$28,032
Out-of-state: $75,552 (12.0x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$35,724
-27% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$15,850
2.6 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$98,200
34% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

Graduates earn $73,342/yr, edging above the $69,097 national average for Civil Engineering — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.

The 32.2x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 49% task exposure — and the 19% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

At $15,850 in median debt against $73,342 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

A #3 ranking out of 220 programs puts California State University-Long Beach in the top 1% for Civil Engineering. By our composite measure, very few programs deliver stronger results.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $73,342 to $98,200 shows 34% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

About California State University-Long Beach

With a 47% acceptance rate, California State University-Long Beach is moderately selective, with 34,131 students enrolled in Long Beach, CA. With 49% of students on Pell Grants, the campus draws from a broad economic spectrum.

See all programs and financial aid at California State University-Long Beach →

Top Career Paths

Architectural and engineering managers $167,740/yr
Petroleum engineers $141,280/yr
Engineers, all other $117,750/yr
View all 7 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 220 schools offering Civil Engineering →

Civil Engineering at Other Schools

Loyola Marymount University ($87,790) University of Southern California ($85,262) Santa Clara University ($84,883) California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ($80,673) Montana Technological University ($80,327) Cornell University ($80,261) Bucknell University ($80,231) University of California-Berkeley ($78,142)

Compare Civil Engineering

California State University-Long Beach vs California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo → California State University-Long Beach vs University of California-Berkeley →

Other Majors at California State University-Long Beach

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($100,178) Construction Engineering Technologies ($89,003) Computer Engineering ($79,809) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($77,278) Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering ($66,477) Biomedical/Medical Engineering ($66,090) Mechanical Engineering ($60,996) Computer Science ($60,378)

Frequently Asked Questions

How does California State University-Long Beach's Civil Engineering program score?
A score of 77/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. California State University-Long Beach's Civil Engineering graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
How vulnerable is Civil Engineering to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Civil Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 49% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Why does California State University-Long Beach rank so high for Civil Engineering?
The #3 ranking out of 220 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →