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Civil engineering is where federal loan forgiveness and professional practice overlap most directly. The majority of civil engineers work in the public sector — for state and local governments, federal agencies, and public utilities — which means most civil engineering graduates are working for PSLF-qualifying employers from their first day at their first job. That leaves students in a great financial position by allowing them to take advantage of federal programs, institution and organization-specific support, and impressive post-graduate earning potential to finance their education comfortably. It also puts the cost of attending some of the best engineering schools in the country well within reach.
The field also has a specific scholarship ecosystem through ASCE and a set of state-level tuition assistance programs that most students never find. Here's the full picture.
Funding a Civil Engineering Degree
Public Service Loan Forgiveness for civil engineers
State and local government agencies, federal agencies (FHWA, Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, USDOT), and public utilities all qualify as PSLF employers. Civil engineers working in transportation, water infrastructure, or environmental engineering for government are almost universally in PSLF-eligible positions.
The PSLF math for civil engineering mirrors the social work calculation: a civil engineer with $60,000 in loans earning $65,000 at a state DOT pays approximately $130–$200/month under SAVE IDR and sees the remaining balance forgiven after 10 years. See our PSLF guide for the detailed calculation framework.
SMART Scholarship
Civil and environmental engineering are explicitly eligible SMART disciplines — particularly for students interested in military construction, transportation infrastructure, and environmental remediation. Apply at smartscholarship.org.
ASCE Scholarships
The American Society of Civil Engineers Foundation administers multiple scholarship programs for civil engineering students at both undergraduate and graduate levels:
- Samuel Fletcher Tapman ASCE Student Chapter/Club Scholarship: For undergraduate ASCE members
- Eugene C. Figg Jr. Civil Engineering Scholarship: $3,000 for undergraduate students
- Freeman Fellowship: For travel to observe civil engineering works internationally
- O.H. Ammann Research Fellowship: For research in structural engineering
See asce.org/scholarships for current programs and deadlines.
State DOT Tuition Assistance Programs
Several state Departments of Transportation run tuition assistance programs for students who commit to post-graduation employment with the state DOT. These vary significantly by state and are frequently underutilized. Contact your state DOT's HR department directly to ask about any student programs — most aren't well-publicized.
NSF GRFP
The NSF GRFP covers civil and environmental engineering at the graduate level: $37,000/year stipend plus $16,000/year cost-of-education for three years. Apply at nsfgrfp.org. Deadline: late October.
Top Civil Engineering Schools
University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
Ranked #1 nationally for civil and environmental engineering
Berkeley's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is consistently ranked #1 in the country. Its research programs span structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, transportation, and environmental systems. The Bay Area location gives students access to major infrastructure projects, BART, Caltrans, and one of the most active seismic engineering research environments in the world.
California residents benefit from in-state tuition and Cal Grants. Berkeley's civil engineering program has strong ties to the California DOT — Caltrans — creating natural PSLF-eligible employment pathways.
PSLF positioning: Excellent. Bay Area government and public utility employers are overwhelmingly PSLF-qualifying.
Financial snapshot: In-state tuition + Blue and Gold + Cal Grant for CA residents. Best value top-ranked civil engineering program in the US.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, IL)
Illinois's civil engineering department is consistently ranked top 5 nationally with particular strength in structural engineering and construction management. The department has strong industry relationships with Caterpillar and major infrastructure contractors.
Illinois in-state tuition (~$15,000/year) plus strong Illinois state grant programs makes this an exceptional value for Illinois residents pursuing public sector civil engineering careers with PSLF eligibility.
Financial snapshot: In-state tuition for IL residents. Strong ASCE student chapter scholarship access.
Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)
Georgia Tech's civil engineering program is particularly strong in transportation engineering and construction — disciplines with direct application to state DOT employment and PSLF eligibility. The co-op program includes DOT and infrastructure project rotations.
Financial snapshot: ~$12,000/year in-state for GA residents. Strong co-op program with public and private infrastructure employers.
Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN)
Purdue's Lyles School of Civil Engineering is strong in structural, transportation, and construction engineering. Indiana residents benefit from in-state tuition and Purdue's "Purdue Freeze" tuition policy which caps tuition increases.
Financial snapshot: In-state tuition for IN residents. SMART Scholarship eligible for transportation infrastructure tracks.
University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)
UT Austin's Cockrell School of Engineering civil program isn't just one of the best engineering schools in Texas -- it's one of the largest in the country. Texas has an enormous civil engineering employer landscape — TxDOT is one of the largest state DOTs in the US, and Texas's infrastructure investment creates strong public sector employment density.
Texas residents benefit from in-state tuition and the TEXAS Grant. UT's proximity to TxDOT headquarters creates strong PSLF-eligible placement pipelines.
Financial snapshot: In-state tuition + TEXAS Grant for TX residents.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
MIT's civil and environmental engineering department leads in infrastructure systems, climate resilience engineering, and environmental sustainability — increasingly important disciplines as climate adaptation infrastructure investment grows. MIT is need-blind and meets 100% of demonstrated need.
Financial snapshot: Need-blind; no loans under $90K family income. Strong NSF GRFP placement for graduate students in environmental systems.
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