Clone of Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering

Bachelor of Science

Small class sizes, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, and close interaction with faculty means you don’t get lost in the crowd here.

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Design resilient bridges, water systems, and transit networks across all five 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 

Ensuring program meets highest engineering standards

Proven Career Success

Average Starting Salary: $77,674 (bachelor's degree graduates)*

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

*WPI Class of 2025 First Destination Survey **WPI First Destination Survey, Class of 2025

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 area driving your curiosity. Complement your major with a minor, or fill the rest with electives that interest you. And if you're not ready to be done, the accelerated BS/MS program earns you both your bachelor's and master's in just five years.

Concentrations

Environmental

Design water supply, waste treatment, and air pollution systems — protecting hydrology, water resources, and public health downstream.

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 

235+

Student Clubs and Organizations

95%

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

WPI Difference

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

Collaborate

on real-world civil projects through global project sites and 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

Global Water Resource Center

Conduct water quality, contamination detection, and remediation research with interdisciplinary teams that study water from source to point of use using advanced oxidation techniques and zeolite-based remediation.
Chev Right Icon of hollow arrow pointing right Arrow Right Icon of arrow pointing right Learn more about the Water Resource Center

UL Performance Lab

Run large-scale fire, structural, and wind-tunnel tests inside the 190-square-meter, 9.2-meter-high facility where civil engineering students examine façade fires, compartment behavior, and fire spread on full-scale specimens.
Chev Right Icon of hollow arrow pointing right Arrow Right Icon of arrow pointing right Learn more about the Fire Protection Engineering Labs

Civil Engineering Teaching Laboratories

Test soils, structural materials, and concrete behavior in courses that pair foundational mechanics with hands-on instrumentation and the lab-based experience required for an ABET-accredited engineering degree.

Resources & Tech You'll Tap Into

Research Opportunities 

  • Water sustainability in developing countries
  • Contaminant detection, hazardous waste remediation, and watershed sustainability through the Water Resource Center
  • Climate-adaptive infrastructure, smart sensors for degradation monitoring, and energy-harvesting materials
  • Structural and geotechnical design, transportation, environmental engineering, water resources, and construction project management 
  • Soil mechanics and foundation engineering
  • Sustainable construction and resilient urban infrastructure

Project-Based Learning Experiences

Apply civil engineering theory and practice from day one. Build a professional portfolio with real 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 real civil engineering projects completed by WPI students.

WPI students building project wood prototype
[GLOBAL] Río San Pedro Water Contamination Study

📍Cuenca, Ecuador

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

[GLOBAL] Lyon Public Transit Infrastructure

📍Lyon, France

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

[LOCAL] Sewer Overflow Public Notification Implementation

📍Boston, Mass.

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

[LOCAL] Environmental Justice Mapping in Chelsea

📍Chelsea, Mass.

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

[INDUSTRY] Granular Activated Carbon for Drinking Water

📍Worcester, Mass.

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

[INDUSTRY] Hurricane-Resilient Modular Hub Design

📍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 Design & Seismic Analysis

 

Model steel, concrete, and timber structures in SAP2000 and Revit to design buildings and bridges that withstand earthquakes, wind, and everyday loads.


Apply load-path analysis and seismic detailing to deliver safe, code-compliant designs through hands-on project-based studios.

Water Resources & Environmental Engineering

 

Simulate floodplains, stormwater systems, and drinking-water distribution using HEC-RAS and EPANET to protect communities from flooding and contamination.


Design water treatment and wastewater processes that meet EPA standards while solving real environmental challenges for cities and watersheds.

Transportation & Geotechnical Infrastructure

 

Plan highways, intersections, and multimodal corridors in AutoCAD Civil 3D and Synchro to move people and freight safely and efficiently.


Analyze soil behavior, foundations, and slope stability with PLAXIS to engineer the ground beneath roads, bridges, and high-rise buildings.

Technical Leadership and 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.

Aseel Kambal ’25
Aseel Kambal ’25
BS in Civil Engineering, minor in Environmental & Sustainability Studies

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

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Student Voice

"In 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, BS in Civil Engineering; minor in Environmental & Sustainability Studies

#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 Sector Urban Planner
$68K		 Senior Urban Planner
$84K		 Director of Planning
$135K

Salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Tuition & Costs
Preview

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
Online MS in Civil & Environmental Engineering

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