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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1408

Civil Engineering: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 1 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Strong payoff

+$156,260 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

Observed earnings clearly outpace the comparison earnings and estimated education cost in this scenario.

4.0 yrsModeled economic break-even

+153%Modeled 10-year ROI

$70,850Observed earnings · year 4

Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$70,850Median reported earnings · year 4

Not availableAverage reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

87thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

1Reporting programs

1With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $70,850
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $85,076
Federal debt: $24,667
Reporting programs: 238

234 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $96,805
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 82

82 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$70,850National median$70,85075th percentile$70,850

1 programs report year‑4 earnings.

DECISION CHECK

What to compare before choosing a program

The national result is only the starting point. Price, debt and the college-level earnings spread can materially change the payoff.

$70,85075th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs

Not availableMedian federal debt across programs that report it

0Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1CUNY LaGuardia Community College$70,850

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Architectural and Engineering ManagersSOC 11-9041 · 6 crosswalk linksCivil EngineersSOC 17-2051 · 6 crosswalk linksEngineering Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1032 · 6 crosswalk linksEngineers, All OtherSOC 17-2199 · 2 crosswalk linksEnvironmental EngineersSOC 17-2081 · 2 crosswalk linksMining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety EngineersSOC 17-2151 · 1 crosswalk linksPetroleum EngineersSOC 17-2171 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	10-year ROI	Verdict
1	CUNY LaGuardia Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Long Island City, NY	$70,850	Not available	+153%	Strong payoff

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.