Civil Engineering at University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL · Public · Bachelor's Degree
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
68
Optimistic
67
Base Case
62
Pessimistic
Earnings
$69,310/yr (0% vs median)
AI Risk
High (49% exposed)
Job Market
Large (56,100 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Civil Engineering graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $864K | $691K | $512K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 15.1x | 12.0x | 8.9x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 7.4x | 5.9x | 4.4x |
| Viable Career Paths | 7 of 7 | 7 of 7 | 7 of 7 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 68 | 67 | 62 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$57,352
Out-of-state: $117,440
Median Debt at Graduation
$22,000
3.8 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$83,670
21% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Civil Engineering graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 56,100 combined openings per year.
| 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% |
Compare & Explore
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Civil Engineering at University of Illinois Chicago?
This program scores 67/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 68 (optimistic) to 62 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Civil Engineering career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Civil Engineering graduates retain 7 of 7 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $512,148 (pessimistic) to $864,478 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Civil Engineering graduates?
The career paths mapped to Civil Engineering have roughly 56,100 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Civil Engineering at University of Illinois Chicago worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 12.0x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 8.9x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
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.