Program Analysis
At $77,845/yr, Construction Engineering graduates from Iowa State University land near the $76,543 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 20.3x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Construction Engineering programs nationally.
Some AI exposure exists in Construction Engineering's typical career paths, with 47% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 17% gap from the optimistic case.
The median debt load of $19,609 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
At #3 of 14 nationally, this is a top-5% Construction Engineering program. Financial outcomes consistently outperform the vast majority of peers.
Earnings grow from $77,845 to $95,401 over five years — a 23% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career progression.