ROI Major

Civil Engineering at University of Texas at Tyler

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 14.08

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Civil Engineering degree from University of Texas at Tyler earn a median salary of $90,181 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $97,916. The degree typically pays for itself in 3.8 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

$77,509

Typical Career

$90,181

Top Performers

$102,856

Estimated break-even: 3.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$601

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,515. Most students can comfortably afford about a $601 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.2x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 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 30.0%
Educational Services 24.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 7.8%

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

$97,916

Nominal: $90,181 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% higher 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).

3.8 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 $63,546 $72,900 $81,539
5 Years After Graduation $77,509 $90,181 $102,856
10 Years After Graduation $91,987 $108,190 $152,282

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 $90,181 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $90,181 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $97,916 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Tyler can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $72,900, which increases to $90,181 five years post-graduation and reaches $108,190 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation, adjusted for cost of living, equate to approximately $97,916.4 nationally, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial standing relative to their peers across the country.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (30.0%), Educational Services (24.9%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (7.8%). This diverse range of sectors suggests that Civil Engineering graduates have ample opportunities for employment. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 3.8 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering at UT Tyler appears favorable, providing a solid foundation for long-term career success.

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 Texas at Tyler 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.

Explore More