Chemical Engineering

What graduates really earn, where the degree pays off most, and whether the numbers add up for you.

Avg Earnings (4yr)

$72,906

Median Earnings

$96,810

Schools Offering

160

ROI Grade

Earnings Range (4 Years After Graduation)

25th: $91,777Median: $96,81075th: $102,119

Best Schools for Chemical Engineering by Earnings

#	School	ROI	4yr Earnings	Net Price	Major Debt	Grade
1	Massachusetts Institute of Technology MA · Private	99	$122,093	$20,111	$15,209	A
2	Vanderbilt University TN · Private	97	$121,641	$15,846	N/A	-
3	University of California-Berkeley CA · Public	97	$121,027	$13,481	$18,155	A
4	Cornell University NY · Private	96	$116,165	$28,690	$14,361	A
5	Lafayette College PA · Private	92	$115,726	$34,433	$17,000	A
6	The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public	90	$115,423	$19,857	$19,844	A
7	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College LA · Public	76	$114,226	$19,151	$20,500	B+
8	University of Notre Dame IN · Private	97	$113,614	$26,780	$19,000	A
9	Rice University TX · Private	98	$113,605	$13,370	$13,178	A
10	University of California-Santa Barbara CA · Public	90	$113,317	$16,109	$14,937	A
11	Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public	89	$111,073	$21,315	$18,135	A
12	Northwestern University IL · Private	94	$111,040	$29,167	$16,500	A
13	Carnegie Mellon University PA · Private	97	$110,378	$31,944	$23,125	A
14	University of Houston TX · Public	80	$110,184	$14,276	$20,000	A
15	University of Pennsylvania PA · Private	97	$109,884	$28,699	$20,500	B+
16	University of Florida FL · Public	92	$109,607	$6,541	$20,050	A
17	University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public	94	$109,551	$14,091	$19,875	B+
18	North Carolina A & T State University NC · Public	32	$109,537	$10,846	$26,000	B+
19	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public	95	$109,405	$13,138	$21,250	B+
20	University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public	96	$108,066	$12,548	$18,205	A
21	Washington University in St Louis MO · Private	96	$107,843	$21,786	$19,500	B+
22	Northeastern University MA · Private	91	$107,767	$30,915	$27,000	B+
23	University of Mississippi MS · Public	65	$107,548	$13,314	$22,750	B+
24	Auburn University AL · Public	76	$106,726	$24,323	$23,104	B+
25	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VA · Public	89	$106,011	$24,953	$25,350	B+
26	University of Virginia-Main Campus VA · Public	95	$105,724	$21,565	$17,733	A
27	North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public	87	$104,705	$17,303	$22,244	B+
28	Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public	91	$104,514	$14,600	$21,500	B+
29	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL · Public	93	$104,317	$14,355	$22,850	B+
30	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus GA · Public	97	$104,104	$12,116	$27,000	B+
31	University of Delaware DE · Public	86	$103,910	$17,799	$26,058	B+
32	Kettering University MI · Private	88	$103,868	$34,660	$29,000	B
33	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public	62	$103,728	$32,875	$26,831	B+
34	Villanova University PA · Private	89	$103,601	$43,756	$27,000	B
35	University of Rhode Island RI · Public	79	$103,525	$21,440	$27,000	B
36	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona CA · Public	89	$102,849	$11,531	$21,812	B+
37	University of California-Davis CA · Public	95	$102,649	$14,741	$16,000	A
38	Michigan State University MI · Public	79	$102,223	$19,680	$26,573	B+
39	University of Maryland-College Park MD · Public	94	$102,149	$15,678	$23,250	B+
40	University of Louisiana at Lafayette LA · Public	47	$102,119	$13,530	$22,000	B+
41	University of Arizona AZ · Public	75	$101,815	$16,674	$21,250	B+
42	Brigham Young University UT · Private	94	$101,726	$15,564	$13,980	A
43	Lehigh University PA · Private	93	$101,720	$36,931	$27,000	B+
44	University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public	91	$101,676	$17,354	$21,947	B+
45	University of Tulsa OK · Private	83	$101,626	$15,000	N/A	-
46	University of Louisville KY · Public	58	$101,068	$17,988	$21,500	B+
47	Lamar University TX · Public	53	$101,018	$9,366	$20,019	A
48	The University of Alabama AL · Public	64	$100,857	$22,420	$23,003	B+
49	Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public	83	$100,729	$24,406	$25,000	B
50	University of Southern California CA · Private	91	$100,646	$32,740	$13,000	A

School-by-school analysis: Chemical Engineering

Editorial breakdowns of how chemical engineering graduates fare at the top-earning programs in our dataset.

Lafayette College

PA · Private · $115,726 4yr earnings · $17,000 median debt

Chemical Engineering is Lafayette's top-performing program: 22 graduates, $79,602 year-one, $115,726 year-four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.214 (ROI grade A). Graduates borrow a median $17,000 and exceed $115k within four years. This program is small by volume but delivers outstanding outcomes for students who complete it. Chemical engineers from Lafayette typically enter process industries, pharmaceuticals, and materials companies in the Philadelphia-New York corridor.

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

LA · Public · $114,226 4yr earnings · $20,500 median debt

Chemical Engineering graduates earn $74,786 one year out and $114,226 at four years - the highest four-year median of any LSU program. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.27 earns a B+ grade. The 74 annual graduates benefit from Louisiana's petrochemical industry concentration along the Mississippi River corridor, one of the largest in the world. Four-year earnings approaching $115,000 against $20,500 in median debt represent a powerful investment case.

Rice University

TX · Private · $113,605 4yr earnings · $13,178 median debt

Chemical Engineering (29 graduates) earns $87,830 at one year and $113,605 at four years, with a 0.15 debt-to-earnings ratio and an A grade. Rice's chemical engineering program benefits directly from the Houston petrochemical industry. ExxonMobil, Shell, LyondellBasell, and other major employers have significant Houston operations and recruit actively at Rice. The program combines traditional chemical process engineering with materials and energy applications. Starting salaries above $87K in a market with relatively low cost of living create favorable financial positioning for graduates.

Exceptional Value

Is Chemical Engineering Worth It?

The Numbers Support This Major

If you're weighing Chemical Engineering, the money case is about as strong as it gets. Graduates average $72,906 four years out, well above the typical major, so the degree tends to pay for itself fast. The harder question here isn't whether it's worth it - it's where you study it.

160 schools offer this major, so you have real options. Compare net price and graduate earnings at your actual target schools - the spread between the best and worst ROI in this field is wide.

The top earner here is Carnegie Mellon University, where graduates pull $110,378 four years out. But an average hides a wide spread - where you go, and what you do with the degree, matter as much as the major itself.

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