Civil Engineering: CUNY City College vs San Francisco State University

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
CUNY City College
New York, NY
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA
In-State
24.1x
$29,360 tuition
25.5x
$29,696 tuition
Out-of-State
11.6x
$61,160 tuition
9.8x
$77,216 tuition
$67,194/yr starting · Public
$68,256/yr starting · Public

Head-to-Head

CUNY City College San Francisco State University
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 24.1x 25.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 11.6x 9.8x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $29,360 $29,696
Year 1 Earnings $67,194 $68,256
10-Year Earnings $708K $757K
Median Debt $19,529 $17,500
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 3.5 months 3.1 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 72/100 73/100
Acceptance Rate 58.1% 96.2%

Both programs have high AI automation risk (49% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Civil Engineering graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Civil Engineering graduates.

CUNY City College San Francisco State University
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $29,360 $29,696
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $61,160 $77,216
10-Year Projected Earnings $708K $757K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 24.1x 25.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 11.6x 9.8x
5-Year Salary Growth +34% +48%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Civil Engineering (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

CUNY City College San Francisco State University
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $959K $708K $497K $1,100K $757K $504K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 32.7x 24.1x 16.9x 37.1x 25.5x 17.0x
DegreeWorth Score 75 72 67 75 73 67

For the full AI analysis of Civil Engineering career paths, see the CUNY City College or San Francisco State University program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Civil Engineering graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$336
CUNY City College saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$1,062/yr
San Francisco State University grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
24.1x / 25.5x
Out-of-state: 11.6x / 9.8x

Career Paths

Civil Engineering graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Architectural and engineering managers $167,740 14,500 +3.8% 41%
Petroleum engineers $141,280 1,200 +1.3% 53%
Engineers, all other $117,750 9,300 +2.1% 46%
Engineering teachers, postsecondary $106,120 4,100 +8.1% 50%
Environmental engineers $104,170 3,000 +3.9% 56%
Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers $101,020 400 +0.7% 48%
Civil engineers $99,590 23,600 +5.0% 50%

Explore Each Program

More Civil Engineering Comparisons

Civil Engineering Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Civil Engineering: CUNY City College or San Francisco State University?
CUNY City College scores 72/100 while San Francisco State University scores 73/100. CUNY City College has significantly lower tuition, which drives its competitive ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Civil Engineering?
CUNY City College has an in-state earnings multiple of 24.1x vs San Francisco State University's 25.5x. That means San Francisco State University grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition.
How do CUNY City College and San Francisco State University compare on Civil Engineering earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $67,194 at CUNY City College vs $68,256 at San Francisco State University. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $707,745 vs $756,538 — a difference of $48,793.
How much does Civil Engineering cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $29,360 at CUNY City College and $29,696 at San Francisco State University. Median debt at graduation is $19,529 vs $17,500. Both programs lead to the same Civil Engineering career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.