From shopping to reading books, the Internet can be used for so many things to make our lives easier and more convenient. Another thing the Internet can be used for is earning a civil engineering degree online. Online college degrees are a growing trend and one that more and more students are choosing, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. If earning an online civil engineering degree is something that interests you, keep reading to find out more about this form of schooling, as well as if it would be a good fit for you.
Why Choose Online Education?
Studying college courses from the comfort of your home is not for everyone. There are some students who prefer face-to-face interactions and participation that come with taking classes on campus. Online degrees can give students the flexibility to take courses on their own time, which is especially helpful to those who have careers and have a limited amount of time during the day to attend classes.
All of the schools we have listed offer online civil engineering degrees and are some of the best colleges in the U.S. that allows this form of education. Take a look at our top 22 universities for civil engineering degrees and hopefully, you will find one that will work with your budget and needs.
Rank | School | Location |
---|---|---|
1 | North Carolina State University (41 Points) | Raleigh, North Carolina |
2 | Clemson University (37 Points) | Clemson, South Carolina |
3 | University of Oklahoma (36 Points) | Norman, Oklahoma |
4 | Auburn University (35 Points) | Auburn, Alabama |
5 | University of Virginia (34 Points) | Charlottesville, Virginia |
Top 22 Colleges That Offer Online Civil Engineering Degrees!
North Carolina State University (41 Points)
North Carolina State University is a leading institution in the fields of science, math, technology, and engineering. This is a large university with over 10,000 graduate students and was referred to as “competitive and intense” and “friendly” by previous students. The online Civil Engineering Masters Degree program is 100% online and does not require a thesis or GRE for students with undergraduate engineering degrees.
School Overview
Clemson University (37 Points)
Located in Clemson, South Carolina, Clemson University is a large graduate school with more than 5,000 graduate students. Although thousands of students have decided to further their education at this institution, class sizes still remain small, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 16 to 1. Clemson University was ranked #11 in the nation for Most Innovative Schools by US News and World.
School Overview
University of Oklahoma (36 Points)
The University of Oklahoma was founded in 1890 and offers a 32-credit online civil engineering program that can be completed by working professionals in 21 months. The Gallogly College of Engineering has been ranked as a Top 100 Engineering School. Although the program can be completed online, students will still have the ability to participate in research projects.
School Overview
Auburn University (35 Points)
With 64 graduate programs available, at least 21 of them can be completed online, including the civil engineering program. The Master of Civil Engineering degree at Auburn University does not require a thesis and will give students the tools they need to plan, design, construct, and operate facilities and systems upon graduation. A minimum of 30 credits is required for graduation.
School Overview
University of Virginia (34 Points)
What began as a way to build military and civil architectures in 1825 became the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia. There are about 7,862 graduate students at this Charlotville-based institution and offers four concentration areas (tracks) for the civil engineering graduate students.
School Overview
Iowa State University (33 Points)
The Civil Engineering Master’s Degree at Iowa State University is a completely online program and allows students to choose the day, time, and location to complete each course. This is done to meet the needs and time restraints of students who have full-time careers. An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is required to enter the program, but the GRE can be waived for undergraduates who completed a bachelor’s degree in engineering.
School Overview
Louisiana State University and Agriculture and Mechanical College (32 Points)
The College of Engineering offers five specialized areas of study and an online Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering. The college offers a 36-credit program online that comes equipped with the support of a faculty member and experienced field experts. LSU Online also offers a personal Learner Concierge to answer questions and offer encouragement during your studies.
School Overview
Villanova University (31 Points)
Found in Villanova, Pennsylvania, Villanova University is a private, Catholic college with over 4,100 graduate students. Due to the busy lives of the students enrolled in the online civil engineering program, Villanova University offers a majority of the courses at night. Previous students described the courses offered at this institution as “supportive”.
School Overview
University of Washington (30 Points)
With at least 15,000 graduate students and 184 graduate programs to choose from, the University of Washington has become a popular university for those who want to pursue higher education in the Pacific Northwest. The College of Engineering employs 20 NAE members and received $125 million in externally funded research. This university offers a part-time online Master of Science in Civil Engineering which specializes in Construction Engineering and can be completed in 2-3 years.
School Overview
University of Houston (29 Points)
The University of Houston is a large university located in the busy city of Houston, Texas. The courses offered in the online civil engineering program are intertwined with the face-to-face classes because all face-to-face lectures are streamed live for distant students to view. Students will only be expected to come to campus for the initial orientation and exams.
School Overview
Ohio University (28 Points)
Located in Athens, Ohio, Ohio University is a large school with more than 6,000 graduate students and 93 graduate programs. This university was ranked #1 College in Ohio for Online Education. As few as five semesters are needed to complete the online Master of Science in Civil Engineering program and there are several specialty areas you can focus your education on, including Construction Engineering and Management, Environmental Engineering, Structural Engineering, and Transportation Engineering.
School Overview
University of South Carolina (27 Points)
The University of South Carolina is located in the beautiful Columbia, South Carolina, and has won a slew of awards and rankings, including #12 of the nation’s Top 25 Graduate Programs. It is a large institution with at least 8,000 graduate students, while also having a student-to-faculty ratio of 21 to 1. A Master of Science and Master of Engineering degree is offered in the field of civil engineering.
School Overview
The University of Tennessee (26 Points)
The University of Tennessee first opened its doors in 1794 and became the first university chartered west of the Appalachian Divide. The online program requires a minimum of 30 credits to graduate for both the non-thesis and thesis options. An accelerated BS and MS program is also available, allowing students to earn a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Civil Engineering in only 5 years.
School Overview
Kennesaw State University (25 Points)
As the second-largest university in the state of Georgia, Kennesaw State University is the school of choice for over 41,000 students, 3,146 of which are graduate programs. Three concentration areas are available in the Master of Science in Civil Engineering program, including Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, Transportation and Pavement Engineering, and Environmental Engineering and Water Resources. This program is ABET-accredited.
School Overview
Missouri University of Science and Technology (24 Points)
Missouri University of Science and Technology was founded in 1870 and continues to get recognized nationally for its quality education and exceptional undergraduate and graduate programs. The non-thesis online degree program requires 30 credits to graduate. Live-streamed lectures and lessons are available as a component of the courses in order to allow distant learners the opportunity to participate in class discussions with their in-person counterparts.
School Overview
Kansas State University (23 Points)
Manhattan, Kansas is the home of the midsized campus of Kansas State University, where the student-to-faculty ratio is 18 to 1. They offer a 100% online civil engineering masters program that can be customized to work with every student’s schedule and includes five specialized areas of study. While this 30-credit program is online, students are still required to come to the KSU campus at the end of the program to take an oral exam.
School Overview
Southern Methodist University (21 Points)
Lyle School of Engineering has been a part of Southern Methodist University‘s institution for more than 50 years. The campus is located in Dallas, Texas, and is a private, Christian college that has 5,170 graduate students enrolled. The atmosphere can be competitive and intense, but the education received from the distance learning program is top-rate.
School Overview
University of North Dakota (20 Points)
Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the University of North Dakota has over 3,000 graduate students and almost 30 online programs. The online Master of Science in Civil Engineering degree is expected to take between one and two years to complete and is offered with four areas of concentration that can be studied. UND has been offering these civil engineering programs and has been ranked as a top engineering school.
School Overview
New Jersey Institute of Technology (16 Points)
The New Jersey Institute of Technology focuses on offering degrees and certificates that center around STEM areas of interest, including technology, science, engineering, and math. It is a small school with a student-to-faculty ratio of 16 to 1 but has the resources and tools offered by bigger colleges. The starting salaries of NJIT students is 20 percent higher than the national average, resulting in this institution being ranked as one of the best investments. NJIT has also been ranked the second Best Civil Engineering School in the U.S. and one of the Top 75 Environmental Engineering Graduate Programs in the U.S.
School Overview
Norwich University (15 Points)
The small, close-knit campus of Norwich University has 804 graduate students and a student-to-faculty ratio of 15 to 1. This university is a small, private institution that offers at least 10 online degree programs, including one in civil engineering. It takes approximately 18 months to complete the program and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
School Overview
University of Louisville (14 Points)
The University of Louisville is a large university in Louisville, Kentucky with almost 6,000 graduate students, yet still has small class sizes with a student-to-ratio of 14 to 1. The online civil engineering program is expected to only take 1 year and requires 30 credits to graduate. Some previous students have described the campus as “down to earth” and the program as “preparing me for the real world.”
School Overview
Lawrence Technological University (8 Points)
Located in Southfield, Michigan, Lawrence Technological University is a small, private institution with only 743 graduate students. It was first founded in 1932 and has been ranked highly by national publications for being the Best in the Midwest and one of the Best Engineering Graduate Schools. LTU is a national leader in the field of Civil Engineering and prepares students for the real world once they graduate.
School Overview
How the Schools are Ranked
In order to rank our schools from the top online civil engineering degree to the 22nd best school, we began by listing all of the schools. Once that task was completed, we gave points to each school based on the cost of in-state tuition and their graduation rates. The schools were ranked by which institutions offered the lowest in-state tuition and the highest graduation rate.
If your university was listed and you feel there are corrections that need to be made or you have a question, please contact us.