ROI Major

Civil Engineering at University of Hartford

CT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 14.08

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Civil Engineering degree from University of Hartford earn a median salary of $91,518 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $79,374. The degree typically pays for itself in 4 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$83,791

Typical Career

$91,518

Top Performers

$105,955

Estimated break-even: 4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$610

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,627. Most students can comfortably afford about a $610 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.2x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Connecticut buys what costs $1.15 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 19.2%
Educational Services 13.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 13.3%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$79,374

Nominal: $91,518 in Connecticut (COL 115.3% of national avg) · 13.3% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

4 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $60,442 $70,135 $79,088
5 Years After Graduation $83,791 $91,518 $105,955
10 Years After Graduation $88,299 $112,107 $141,822

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $91,518 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CT, which has a cost-of-living index of 115.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $91,518 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530) = $79,374 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for Civil Engineering graduates from the University of Hartford shows a significant increase over time. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $70,135, rising to $91,518 five years post-graduation, and reaching $112,107 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $79,373.81, indicating that while salaries are competitive, the cost of living in Connecticut (COL index of 1.153) may affect overall purchasing power compared to other states.

Graduates typically enter diverse industries, with notable concentrations in Health Care & Social Assistance (19.2%), Educational Services (13.9%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (13.3%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately four years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for those who complete their degree. Overall, the data indicates that a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Hartford can lead to strong earnings and diverse career opportunities, justifying the investment in higher education.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Civil Engineering degree at University of Hartford stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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