What can you do with a Civil Engineering degree from Virginia Tech?

First, some facts. Of the Civil Engineering graduates from Virginia Tech we've analyzed , here's how many have used (or NOT used) their degree in their career:


These are estimates based on AI analysis of 13 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Significantly above average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 86%, Civil Engineering graduates from Virginia Tech have a much higher likelihood (+19%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

Average score: 86%
Average relevance score across all fields: 67%

And for comparison, here's the chart for all profiles we've looked at across all degrees.

× Chart

Also, after graduating, 38% of these graduates have pursued further education other than another Bachelor's degree (such as a Masters degree or other), compared to the average across all profiles of 35%. This suggests you may need more than just a Bachelors degree to be competitive as a Civil Engineering graduate.

See the details:

View a random Civil Engineering graduate from Virginia Tech and our analysis:


Relevance score: 81%

We think this person has gone into a career highly relevant to their degree.

DEGREE INFO

Graduated in 2020 from Virginia Tech with a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering. No other secondary education since.

JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION
Facilities Staff Project Manager at ECS Limited, LLC
ECS Limited
May 2020 - Dec 2021
The role of Facilities Staff Project Manager may involve some project management skills related to civil engineering, but it does not primarily require civil engineering knowledge for its core qualifications.

Structural Project Engineer
Field & Tung Structural Engineers PLLC
Dec 2021 - Apr 2022
As a Structural Project Engineer, this job directly utilizes civil engineering principles and skills obtained from the Bachelor's degree, making it highly relevant.

Project Engineer
DESMAN - Parking Specialists
May 2022 - Present
The position of Project Engineer at DESMAN focuses on design and construction aspects relevant to civil engineering, allowing the individual to apply their degree knowledge effectively in daily work.

ABOUT

Structural Consultant and Leader looking to level his skills in a position with project management and structural engineering opportunities

What jobs can you get with a Civil Engineering degree from Virginia Tech?

The top 10 most common jobs done by the graduates we've analyzed (ranked most common to least) are:


When we look at the job titles of Virginia Tech Civil Engineering graduates, it’s clear that many end up in positions that are closely related to their field. The most common roles include Project Engineers, Civil Engineers, and various analyst positions like Transportation and Structural Engineers. These jobs typically involve applying specific civil engineering principles, whether that’s in managing projects, planning infrastructure, or working on design aspects related to land development or transportation systems. For instance, roles at companies like Kimley-Horn and Delta Airport Consultants show a strong alignment with the skills learned in their degree, as they involve direct application of civil engineering theories in real-world projects.

However, not every job on the list maintains that strong connection to civil engineering. Some graduates veer off into roles that use analytical skills or project management but don’t directly involve engineering expertise, like an Analyst position at Coda, LLC. There are also cases where graduates took temporary or unrelated roles, such as housekeeping at a university rec center. Overall, while a significant majority of these graduates find work that directly relates to civil engineering, a few have taken paths that diverge from the core principles of their education. But it’s safe to say that most graduates from Virginia Tech are able to land roles that utilize their civil engineering knowledge, making their degrees quite relevant in the job market.

Here is a visual representation of the most common words in job titles for Civil Engineering graduates (this is across all Civil Engineering graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Virginia Tech):

What kind of career trajectories do Civil Engineering graduates from Virginia Tech have? What do they do 1, 5 or 10 years out?

From the profiles of Virginia Tech graduates with a degree in Civil Engineering, there’s a pretty clear career trajectory that many of them tend to follow. Most graduates seem to land jobs related to their field quite quickly. For instance, the Class of 2010 started as a Project Engineer and worked their way up to a Division Manager in just over a decade. Similarly, graduates from 2014, 2016, and even 2018 have steadily progressed within companies, often taking on increasingly significant roles or even staying at the same firm for many years, which speaks to the stable career paths these degrees can provide. It seems that the first jobs after graduation typically involve internships or entry-level positions in engineering firms, where they gain essential experience in civil, structural, or transportation engineering.

Looking a bit farther down the road, like five to ten years after graduation, many alumni appear to have moved into higher-level roles such as Project Managers, Analysts, or even specialized engineering positions, which suggests that a degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech offers solid advancement opportunities. There are a couple of outliers, like those who took on less relevant positions right after graduation, but for the most part, it looks like these graduates have found themselves in rewarding careers that tie back into their studies. Overall, it's a promising outlook for students contemplating a Civil Engineering degree, as it seems to set them on a path to success in various engineering fields.

How hard is a Civil Engineering degree from Virginia Tech?

Pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering can be pretty challenging, and Virginia Tech is no exception. The program is known for its rigorous coursework, heavy on math, physics, and engineering principles, so you can expect a lot of hard work and dedication. It's definitely not a walk in the park; you'll have late nights studying for exams and tackling complex projects, but many students find it rewarding, especially when they see everything come together in the end. If you're passionate about the field and ready to put in the effort, it can definitely be manageable, but you should be prepared for some tough times along the way!

How long does it take?

Most commonly, in the LinkedIn profiles we've looked at, it takes people 4 years to finish a Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering.

Do Civil Engineering graduates from Virginia Tech tend to make good money?

Looking at the job histories of these Virginia Tech Civil Engineering grads, it seems like they're doing pretty well for themselves overall. Many of them started with internships and then moved into solid engineering roles, with some even climbing the ladder to management positions relatively quickly. For instance, the 2010 grad is now a Division Manager, which usually comes with a decent paycheck. The 2021 grads are already in analyst and engineering positions, and they’ll likely be seeing good salaries soon, especially as they gain experience. Even the 2022 and 2023 grads appear to be on track, landing stable jobs right after graduation. So, in a nutshell, most of these folks seem to be making decent money, especially considering the growth potential in their careers!

What buzzwords do Civil Engineering graduates use to describe themselves?

Here is a visual representation of the most common words seen in the "about" section of LinkedIn profiles who have a Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering (this is across all Civil Engineering graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Virginia Tech). This may or may not be useful:

What are the best colleges for Civil Engineering?

Here are all colleges offering a Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering (ordered by the average relevance score of their Civil Engineering graduates, best to worst) where we have analyzed at least 10 of their graduates:

College Score Count
California State University, Long Beach 100 10
California State University-Long Beach 97 11
University of Missouri-Columbia 96 13
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 96 14
San Jose State University 95 11
University of Arkansas 95 10
Michigan State University 94 10
Northeastern University 94 15
University of Utah 93 11
University of Wisconsin-Platteville 93 11
University of Washington 92 16
Brigham Young University 92 18
Iowa State University 92 18
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo 92 28
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona 92 36
Oregon State University 92 13
University of Massachusetts Amherst 92 12
University of Nevada, Reno 92 13
Missouri University of Science and Technology 92 11
University of Central Florida 91 15
Manhattan College 91 18
Clarkson University 91 11
Florida International University 90 10
University of Wisconsin-Madison 90 16
The University of Texas at El Paso 90 10
Michigan Technological University 90 10
University of California, Davis 89 21
University of Delaware 89 16
Rowan University 89 10
San Diego State University 88 13
Arizona State University 87 16
University of South Florida 87 10
Auburn University 87 17
University of North Carolina at Charlotte 87 10
University of South Alabama 87 10
Virginia Tech 86 13
New Jersey Institute of Technology 86 31
Texas A&M University 85 38
Florida State University 85 15
North Carolina State University 85 20
Texas Tech University 85 12
Wentworth Institute of Technology 85 10
The Ohio State University 84 19
California State University-Sacramento 84 29
University of Florida 83 17
Louisiana State University 83 25
University of Kentucky 83 10
Penn State University 82 32
The University of Texas at Arlington 82 15
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 81 15
West Virginia University 81 10
University of Maine 81 11
Colorado State University 79 19
Washington State University 79 16
North Dakota State University 79 10
The University of Texas at Austin 77 17
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities 77 10
Georgia Institute of Technology 77 17
Mississippi State University 76 16
Clemson University 74 20
University of Colorado Boulder 72 11
Worcester Polytechnic Institute 70 11
Purdue University 69 22
United States Military Academy at West Point 43 10