Is MS in Civil Engineering Worth it if you are Already Earning Well in India?

This post is a continuation of our series “Is it Worth Studying Abroad if you are Already Earning Well in India?” We’ve covered four master’s degrees till now to assess the worth of studying abroad in this series:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering 
• Computer Science 
• Material Science
• Engineering Management
• Electrical Engineering
• Biotechnology
• Aerospace Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Swing by the linked blogs if those are the subjects of your choice. If studying in the best country for master's in Civil Engineering is your chosen path, then read on. 

Is it Financially Worth Studying MS in Civil Engineering Abroad?

The most critical aspect of studying abroad is the financial investment involved. Be it MS in the US or Germany or Canada or Australia, higher education abroad costs considerably. It thus makes sound sense to examine if opting for a master’s degree abroad will be a financially profitable endeavour or not. 

Though there are multiple ways to find the answer such as the scope of Civil Engineering in foreign countries and job opportunities after MS in Civil Engineering, the most suitable method is to calculate the future earnings in store. So to help you calculate, we have put our estimate future earnings tool to use to give you a detailed breakup of the estimated earnings after MS in Civil Engineering abroad.

The tool factors in a handful of assumptions like your tentative MS in Civil Engineering salary. Using the assumptions, it gives you three values:

• NPV, Net Present Value, is the discounted difference between cash flowing in and cash flowing out over a given period of an investment. The higher the NPV of a college, the more beneficial choice it is.
• IRR is the Internal Rate of Return. When comparing study destinations, the one with the higher IRR is preferable.
• The profit which is self-explanatory.

Based on the values, one can ascertain if it is a feasible decision to quit your job (or give up a job offer) in India in favour of studying M.S. in Civil Engineering abroad. For a better understanding of our tool, terms, and standard assumptions, we highly recommend reading this post.

Below you’ll find the four most popular overseas education destinations– US, Germany, Canada, and Australia. Under each target country, four college rank groups with three salary levels are discussed. Scroll to the country where you’re thinking of enrolling for MS, your present Indian salary and the rank range within which your preferred college falls.

Look at the corresponding NPV and profit values to decide if resigning from your current job in India for M.S. in Civil Engineering abroad is a logical move or not.

In case your exact salary doesn’t match with the given figures, scan for the closest option and then extrapolate or go to our Estimate Future Earnings Tool. It provides a more accurate picture of the benefits and risks involved in enrolling for masters in science in civil engineering abroad as per your exact salary.

United States

For the Current Salary of INR 5 Lakhs in India:

Verdict:  If you are earning INR 5 lakhs per year right now or have a job offer with a similar salary, the most beneficial option would be to study MS in Civil Engineering in the US. The significantly high NPVs and profits prove that such an investment will yield huge profits. Since the NPVs and profits for all the colleges are at par, the ranking of the college does not result in any variation in the profits, implying that the investment is financially viable for colleges of all rankings.  

For the Current Salary of INR 15 Lakhs in India:

Verdict: As the above table shows, the NPVs for all college ranks in the US is negative. We would, therefore, advise you to chuck out MS in IT in the US from your plans and to continue working in India instead. 

For the Current Salary of INR 25 Lakhs in India:

Verdict: Any person with a yearly salary of INR 25 lakhs would be much better off in their current job in India than even in the best place to study MS in Civil Engineering in the US. The steeply negative NPV implies you’ll save more by staying in India.

Canada

For the Current Salary of INR 5 Lakhs in India:

1-50	46.64 Lakh	36%	97.63 Lakh
51-100	74.34 Lakh	76%	1.35 Crore
101-250	72.71 Lakh	76%	1.32 Crore
251-500	64.27 Lakh	69%	1.18 Crore

Verdict: Regardless of the college ranking, if your annual salary in India is INR 5 Lakhs, going for MS Civil Engineering in Canada is a great choice. The investment in studying in Canada will pay off really well as shown by positive NPVs. 

For the Current Salary of INR 15 Lakhs in India:

1-50	(-) 58.42 Lakh	Negative	(-)74.33 Lakh
51-100	(-) 30.72 Lakh	Negative	(-)36.38 Lakh
101-250	(-) 32.35 Lakh	Negative	(-)39.40 Lakh
251-500	(-) 40.79 Lakh	Negative	(-)53.34 Lakh

 

For the Current Salary of INR 25 Lakhs in India:

1-50	(-) 1.61 Crore	Negative	(-) 2.44 Crore
51-100	(-) 1.33 Crore	Negative	(-) 2.06 Crore
101-250	(-) 1.35 Cror	Negative	(-) 2.09 Crore
251-500	(-) 1.44 Crore	Negative	(-) 2.23 Crore

Verdict: For both INR 15 Lakh and INR 25 Lakh annual salary groups, the values of NPV, IRR, and Profit are negative. It is easy to conclude that quitting the existing job for MS in Civil Engineering in Canada is not a financially sound alternative.

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Germany

For the Current Salary of INR 5 Lakhs in India:

1-50	85.65 Lakh	103%	1.51 Crore
51-100	85.38 Lakh	110%	1.50 Crore
101-250	84.78 Lakh	114%	1.48 Crore
251-500	76.22 Lakh	103%	1.34 Crore

Verdict: If you’re wondering why to do a Masters in Civil Engineering from Germany when you are already earning INR 5 Lakhs per year in India, stop. All four college rank groups have an exceptionally high rate of return. You will enjoy a solid profit by choosing MS in Germany.

For the Current Salary of INR 15 Lakhs in India:

1-50	(-) 19.41 Lakh	Negative	(-) 20.51 Lakh
51-100	(-) 19.69 Lakh	Negative	(-) 21.91 Lakh
101-250	(-) 20.28 Lakh	Negative	(-) 23.45 Lakh
251-500	(-) 28.84 Lakh	Negative	(-) 37.47 Lakh

For the Current Salary of INR 25 Lakhs in India:

1-50	(-)1.226 Crore	Negative	(-)1.90 Crore
51-100	(-)1.229 Crore	Negative	(-)1.91 Crore
101-250	(-)1.23 Crore	Negative	(-)1.93 Crore
251-500	(-)1.32 Crore	Negative	(-)2.07 Crore

Verdict: For compensation between INR 15 and 25 lakhs annually, the tables visibly indicate that the fruitful course of action is to carry on working in India. The negative NPV, IRR and Profit values demonstrate that enrolling for MS in Civil Engineering in Germany is not the right move.

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Australia

For the Current Salary of INR 5 Lakhs in India:

1-50	62.77 Lakh	45%	1.24 Crore
51-100	65.32 Lakh	50%	1.27 Crore
101-250	65.31 Lakh	51%	1.26 Crore
251-500	58.72 Lakh	48%	1.14 Crore

Verdict: A sufficiently positive NPV and a good profit for all Australian colleges imply that MS in civil engineering, in this case, is a high-yielding option. If your current job pays INR 5 Lakhs per year, then do go for MS in Australia.

For the Current Salary of INR 15 Lakhs in India:

1-50	(-)42.29 Lakh	Negative	(-)47.38 Lakh
51-100	(-)39.74 Lakh	Negative	(-)44.86 Lakh
101-250	(-)39.75 Lakh	Negative	(-)45.63 Lakh
251-500	(-)46.34 Lakh	Negative	(-)57.00 Lakh

For the Current Salary of INR 25 Lakhs in India:

1-50	(-)1.45 Crore	Negative	(-)2.17 Crore
51-100	(-)1.42 Crore	Negative	(-)2.14 Crore
101-250	(-)1.43 Crore	Negative	(-)2.15 Crore
251-500	(-)1.49 Crore	Negative	(-)2.26 Crore

Verdict: In case you earn anywhere between INR 15 and 25 lakhs in India annually, then stick with the job instead of going to Australia to study MS in Civil Engineering. No college in Australia offers for these salary levels a better return as proven by negative NPV and profit above.

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M.S. in Civil Engineering from Abroad or Work in India: Which Choice to Make?

Choose a high paying career (read: salary northwards of INR 15 Lakh) in India over Masters in Civil Engineering courses overseas. You’ll end up with a thicker financial cushion by staying in your current job. On the other hand, if you’re earning only INR 5 lakhs a year in India, then the monetary benefits after MS in Civil Engineering abroad are colossal. Please bear in mind that the numbers above are merely a basic guide. The final decision should always be based on a thorough assessment of all factors.