Chemical Engineering
Offered at 471 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 2 | — | — | — |
| Associate | 21 | — | — | — |
| Bachelor's | 184 | $80,269 | $101,538 | $22,292 |
| Master's | 140 | $91,481 | $121,409 | — |
| Doctoral | 118 | — | — | — |
| Graduate certificate | 6 | — | — | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | $103,310 | $140,683 | — |
| 2 | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | $82,295 | $130,891 | $21,000 |
| 3 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | — | $129,556 | — |
| 4 | Vanderbilt University | TN | $84,790 | $126,083 | — |
| 5 | North Carolina A & T State University | NC | $78,872 | $123,024 | $25,896 |
| 6 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $89,950 | $122,455 | $17,417 |
| 7 | Cornell University | NY | $90,501 | $119,923 | $13,500 |
| 8 | Northeastern University | MA | $85,859 | $119,441 | $25,750 |
| 9 | University of Houston | TX | $90,666 | $118,641 | $24,000 |
| 10 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | LA | $86,700 | $118,419 | $14,038 |
| 11 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | $93,355 | $118,378 | $15,438 |
| 12 | Bucknell University | PA | $80,418 | $117,620 | $27,000 |
| 13 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | OK | $86,435 | $116,944 | $25,250 |
| 14 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $76,250 | $116,830 | $7,500 |
| 15 | Lamar University | TX | $86,607 | $116,788 | $25,000 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | $96,887 | $142,451 | — |
| 2 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | NC | $102,111 | $137,396 | — |
| 3 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | — | $132,417 | — |
| 4 | Drexel University | PA | $86,566 | $122,385 | — |
| 5 | Illinois Institute of Technology | IL | — | $122,311 | — |
| 6 | Villanova University | PA | — | $121,409 | — |
| 7 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | NJ | $88,260 | $118,291 | — |
| 8 | University at Buffalo | NY | $69,374 | $110,601 | — |
| 9 | University of Louisville | KY | — | $102,723 | — |
| 10 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | — | $102,523 | — |
| 11 | Manhattan University | NY | — | $99,825 | — |
| 12 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | MA | $98,171 | — | — |
| 13 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | $95,382 | — | — |
| 14 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | $93,023 | — | — |
| 15 | Northeastern University | MA | $89,939 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning doctoral programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Delaware | DE | — | $175,916 | — |
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | $155,655 | — | — |
| 3 | Stanford University | CA | $134,925 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Quick answers
- How much do chemical engineering graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in chemical engineering reports median earnings of $80,269. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
