Program Analysis
Graduates earn $69,424/yr, roughly in line with the $69,097 national median for Civil Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
With a 15.9x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.
The 17% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Civil Engineering career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.
With first-year pay of $69,424 far exceeding the $26,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
A #85 ranking among 220 Civil Engineering programs places University of South Carolina-Columbia in the middle-to-upper range. Solid, not exceptional.
A 26% earnings increase from $69,424 to $87,617 over five years is solid — not a moonshot, but evidence of normal career advancement.