Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering

Bachelor of Science
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Design resilient bridges, water systems, and transit networks across multiple civil disciplines inside a single ABET-accredited degree.

At a Glance

STEM-Designated Degree

Qualifies international students for extended U.S. work authorization through Optional Practical Training (OPT)

ABET-Accredited Degree

Meets the highest engineering education standards, with curriculum and outcomes vetted by ABET

Proven Career Success

Average Starting Salary: $77,674*

Notable Employers: Arup, Burns & McDonnell, HNTB Corporation, Consigli Construction Co.*

*WPI Class of 2025 First Destination Survey, Bachelor's Degree Graduates

Application Deadlines

Early Decision/Early Action I: Nov. 1 

Early Decision/Early Action II: Jan. 5 

Regular Decision: Feb. 1 

Explore This Degree

Options

Customize Your Path

Your WPI degree is yours to shape. Specialize with a concentration to go deeper into the sub-discipline driving your curiosity. Complement your major with a minor, or choose electives that interest you. Take your education even further with the accelerated BS/MS, which allows you to earn both your bachelor's and master's in as few as five years.

 

Sub-Disciplines

Structural and Geotechnical Engineering

Research designing and building the infrastructure needed for daily life.

Environmental Engineering and Water Resources

Create systems to improve public health and protect natural resources.

Planning, Development, and Project Management

Ensure communities are smart, sustainable, and livable.

Concentration

Environmental

Address challenges in water resources, clean air, energy, and waste management to protect people and the planet. 

Potential Minors

Environmental and Sustainability Studies | Business | Mathematics | Data Science

 

View All Minors

Undecided? No problem. Apply now and explore before committing to a specific path. 

13:1

Student-to-Faculty Ratio 

270+

Student Clubs and Organizations

95%

Of First-Year Students Return for Their Sophomore Year (2025)

WPI Difference

Why Future Civil Engineers Choose WPI

Our project-based degree in civil engineering prepares you for the sustainable infrastructure challenges of tomorrow.   

Through distinctive seven-week terms and intensive project work, you'll:

Design

structures, transportation systems, and water infrastructure for resilient communities

 

Investigate

soil mechanics, structural behavior, and environmental systems in dedicated civil engineering labs

 

Tackle

real-world civil projects at global project sites and through major project work

BUILD

a professional portfolio of completed projects at one of our 50+ project centers worldwide

CUSTOMIZE

your expertise by choosing a mix of electives or a concentration to match your interests

Collaborate

with teams across disciplines to develop solutions for today's complex challenges

Resources & Tech You'll Tap Into

a male and a female student looking at a small cylinder of concrete in weight bearing test equipment

Structures & Materials Lab

Test concrete, steel, soils, and structural systems while using digital modeling, data analytics, and AI-enabled tools. Explore creating stronger, safer, and more sustainable infrastructure, including low-carbon and self-healing materials.
students assembled at a lab table with one student looking into a mircoscope

Water & Environmental Labs

Investigate pollutants, test water quality, explore treatment technologies, use laboratory instruments, and learn how data and AI help engineers detect problems and develop smarter solutions for clean water and a healthier environment.

Smart & Healthy Buildings

Use sensors, building data, modeling, and AI to explore indoor air quality, energy use, temperature, lighting, comfort, and human health. Learn how engineers use technology to design buildings that are intelligent engineering systems.

Research Opportunities 

Students combine scholarly research, project work, and classroom learning for undergraduate opportunities often associated with graduate education.

  • Sustainable and self-healing materials 
  • Water quality and emerging contaminants 
  • AI tools and smart sensors to analyze infrastructure and environmental data 
  • Implications for building impacts on energy use, indoor air quality, comfort, and health 

Project-Based Learning Experiences

Apply civil engineering theory and practice from day one. Build a professional portfolio with work that matters. A degree in civil engineering at WPI means your coursework is inseparable from real projects.

At WPI, learn in an immersive environment where classroom concepts transform into hands-on projects, thanks to our intensive, seven-week terms. Complete increasingly advanced projects for industry partners and community organizations, both local and global. Present your solutions directly to organizations that will implement what you create. 

Below, explore civil engineering projects completed by WPI students.

WPI students building project wood prototype
Global

📍Cuenca, Ecuador

Students investigated contaminated river systems and developed wastewater management recommendations for a community in Ecuador.

Global

📍Lyon, France

Teams analyzed a major metropolitan transit network and produced infrastructure improvement recommendations for city planners. 

Local

📍Boston, Mass.

Students helped the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection implement public notification systems for sewer overflow events. 

Local

📍Chelsea, Mass.

Project teams mapped environmental hazards and analyzed pollution exposure risks for a dense urban Massachusetts community. 

Industry

📍Worcester, Mass.

Students evaluated activated carbon filtration as a drinking water treatment standard for communities across the United States. 

Industry

📍Adjuntas, Puerto Rico

Teams designed a modular, hurricane-resistant shipping container facility for a mountainous rural community in Puerto Rico. 

Skills & Salary

Skills You'll Gain

With a degree in civil engineering from WPI, you'll design the bridges, buildings, transportation networks, and water systems that shape how communities live, move, and thrive.

Explore opportunities to build skills such as:

Structural & Geotechnical Engineering

 

Design structures needed for daily life: buildings, bridges, roads, dams, landfills, and more.

Perform structural integrity testing on materials in the lab and simulate results using computer modeling software.

Environmental Engineering & Water Resources

 

Create systems to protect public health, improve quality of life, and improve natural ecosystems.

Evaluate innovate treatment options for treating waters, cleaning up hazardous wastes, and adapting to climate change. 

Planning, Development & Project Management

 

Devise communities with smart and sustainable infrastructure to meet goals for development, livability, and prosperity. 

Plan projects using modern multidisciplinary information technologies and control systems while meeting all time, budget, and community needs.

Technical Leadership & Communication

 

Lead interdisciplinary project teams through WPI's signature major project, coordinating with clients, contractors, and community stakeholders to deliver real infrastructure solutions.


Communicate technical designs, cost estimates, and construction schedules clearly to engineers, public officials, and residents who depend on the work.

→ Explore the full curriculum in the academic catalog.

Student Voice

"In Great Problems Seminar (GPS), I was on a team that created a structure for civilians living in Dharavi, India. We ended up going through at least four drafts before finally settling on a design and later a poster that we could present at the GPS Poster Presentation Day."

Aseel Kambal '25
Aseel Kambal '25
BS in Civil Engineering

Aseel applies what she learns from her research and coursework to deepen her network of connections on campus. [...]

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#15

Best Career Placement

The Princeton Review (2026)
Top 15%

Best Colleges for Engineering in America

Niche (2025)
Top 5.3%

Worldwide out of 21,000+ Universities 

Center for World University Rankings (2025)
Career

Civil Engineering Career & Salary Outlook

Career Path 

Industry Sector 

Entry Level (0–5 years) 

Mid-Level (5–10 years) 

Senior Level (10+ years) 
Structural Engineering Construction Structural Engineer
$75K		 Senior Structural Engineer
$115K		 Director of Structures
$180K
Transportation Engineering Infrastructure Transportation Engineer
$75K		 Senior Transportation Engineer
$115K		 Transportation Director
$180K
Water Resources & Environmental Environmental Environmental Engineer
$75K		 Senior Environmental Engineer
$104K		 Director of Environmental Services
$165K
Geotechnical Engineering Civil & Mining Geotechnical Engineer
$75K		 Senior Geotechnical Engineer
$115K		 Director of Geotechnical
$180K
Construction Management Construction Project Engineer
$72K		 Project Manager
$107K		 Director of Construction
$170K
Urban & Regional Planning Public Urban Planner
$68K		 Senior Urban Planner
$84K		 Director of Planning
$135K

Salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Tuition & Costs
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Financing Your Future

College is a great investment in your future—and we’re here to help you plan for it. Explore WPI’s cost of attendance and learn how our Office of Financial Aid can guide you through options for funding your education. 

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Start Building Your Future Today

WPI's simple formula helps students thrive: "Go to class. Do the work. Ask for help." With our civil engineering degree, you'll gain the expertise, hands-on experience, and network to design bridges, buildings, and water systems communities depend on.

Continue Your Studies

MS in Civil Engineering
PhD in Civil Engineering
MS in Construction Project Management
MS in Environmental Engineering

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