ROI Major

Civil Engineering at University of Toledo

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 14.08

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Civil Engineering degree from University of Toledo earn a median salary of $82,663 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $91,746. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.6 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$70,925

Typical Career

$82,663

Top Performers

$98,625

Estimated break-even: 4.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$551

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,889. Most students can comfortably afford about a $551 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.1x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Manufacturing.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 21.6%
Educational Services 13.6%
Manufacturing 13.3%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$91,746

Nominal: $82,663 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

4.6 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $53,191 $64,138 $74,829
5 Years After Graduation $70,925 $82,663 $98,625
10 Years After Graduation $88,079 $103,500 $128,013

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $82,663 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $82,663 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $91,746 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for Civil Engineering graduates from the University of Toledo shows a promising increase over time. Graduates can expect median earnings of $64,138 one year after graduation, rising to $82,663 after five years, and reaching $103,500 a decade later. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $91,745.84, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial standing relative to their peers across the country, especially considering Ohio's lower cost of living index of 0.901 compared to the national average.

In terms of career opportunities, graduates predominantly enter sectors such as Health Care & Social Assistance (21.6%), Educational Services (13.6%), and Manufacturing (13.3%). The estimated break-even point for choosing a degree over a high-school-only path is approximately 4.6 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for students. Overall, pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Toledo appears to offer a solid financial outlook and diverse career options in key industries.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Civil Engineering degree at University of Toledo stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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