Civil engineering centers on the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure. Civil engineers work on systems such as buildings, roads, bridges, drinking-water and energy systems, seaports, airports, and infrastructure for a cleaner environment.
Universities around the world teach and research civil engineering. Let’s take a look at some of the top civil engineering schools in the world!
Top Civil Engineering Schools in the World
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was founded in Boston in 1861 and moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1916.
MIT’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers undergraduate and graduate study. Its research areas include climate and the environment, resilient systems and mobility, food and water security, and sustainable materials and infrastructure.
In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, MIT is ranked first worldwide for civil and structural engineering.
2. National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore traces its roots to a medical school founded in 1905 with 23 students. The modern NUS was formed in 1980 through the merger of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University.
The NUS Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering traces its history to 1955, when the School of Engineering was formed under the University of Malaya. Its current study options include undergraduate civil engineering and environmental and sustainability engineering programs, as well as coursework-based and research-based graduate programs.
In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, NUS is ranked second worldwide and is the highest-ranked university in Asia for civil and structural engineering.
3. Delft University of Technology
The Delft University of Technology was founded in 1842 as a Royal Academy and developed into a Polytechnic School in 1864.
The Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences provides research and education, with innovation and sustainability as central themes. Its educational offerings include bachelor’s, master’s, and postgraduate study options.
4. University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley was created in 1868 when the private College of California and the state’s Agricultural, Mining and Mechanical Arts College merged to form the University of California.
The university’s 1868 charter provided for six colleges, including Civil Engineering and Mechanics. The Colleges of Civil Engineering and Mining were established in 1872, and the College of Mechanics was established in 1878. In 1931, the Colleges of Civil Engineering and Mechanics merged to become the College of Engineering.
Berkeley’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering provides information for both undergraduate and graduate students, including details about its programs, faculty, and research opportunities.
5. University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge traces its origins to 1209, when scholars migrated from Oxford to Cambridge and settled there. In 1231, King Henry III took the scholars under his protection.
The Department of Engineering’s Civil Engineering Division provides undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education opportunities. The division aims to advance the design, construction, and operation of civil and structural engineering systems in the context of sustainable and resilient infrastructure and the stewardship of the Earth’s resources and environment.
6. Imperial College London
The Imperial College London is an educational and research institution whose legal status derives from a Royal Charter granted in 1907. The university focuses on science, technology, engineering, medicine, and business.
Imperial’s official department history states that civil engineering separated as its own department in 1913. The department currently provides undergraduate and postgraduate civil engineering study options.
Imperial’s civil engineering study page lists the university as seventh worldwide for civil and structural engineering in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026.
7. Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University was inaugurated on July 1, 1991. Its predecessor institution, Nanyang Technological Institute, was established in 1981 and was reconstituted as NTU in 1991, incorporating the National Institute of Education.
NTU’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers undergraduate programs and graduate programs leading to master’s or Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Its teaching and research cover civil and environmental engineering and maritime studies.
NTU lists its civil and structural engineering subject area as sixth worldwide in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026.
Hopefully, this article on civil engineering schools around the world was helpful and informative. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs for International Students to learn more about studying abroad!
