Chemical Engineering: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 159 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff
+$258,442 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
5.0 yrsModeled economic break-even
+100%Modeled 10-year ROI
$96,798Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$96,798Median reported earnings · year 4
$98,111Average reported earnings · year 5
$23,274Median federal debt
92thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
159Reporting programs
159With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
CURRENT VIEW
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $96,798
- Federal debt
- $23,274
- Reporting programs
- 159
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $114,037
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 11
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $173,065
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 2
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$91,580National median$96,79875th percentile$101,815
159 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Massachusetts Institute of Technology$122,0932Vanderbilt University$121,6413University of California, Berkeley$121,0274Cornell University$116,1655Lafayette College$115,7266The University of Texas at Austin$115,4237Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College$114,2268University of Notre Dame$113,6149Rice University$113,60510University of California, Santa Barbara$113,317Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Architectural and Engineering ManagersSOC 11-9041 · 3 crosswalk linksChemical EngineersSOC 17-2041 · 3 crosswalk linksEngineering Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1032 · 3 crosswalk linksBioengineers and Biomedical EngineersSOC 17-2031 · 1 crosswalk linksEngineers, All OtherSOC 17-2199 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Cambridge, MA | $122,093 | $15,209 | +196% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Vanderbilt UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nashville, TN | $121,641 | Not available | +215% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | University of California, BerkeleyBachelor's Degree | Berkeley, CA | $121,027 | $18,155 | +225% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | Cornell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ithaca, NY | $116,165 | $14,361 | +141% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Lafayette CollegeBachelor's Degree | Easton, PA | $115,726 | $17,000 | +123% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | The University of Texas at AustinBachelor's Degree | Austin, TX | $115,423 | $19,844 | +171% | Strong payoff |
| 7 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBachelor's Degree | Baton Rouge, LA | $114,226 | $20,500 | +170% | Strong payoff |
| 8 | University of Notre DameBachelor's Degree | Notre Dame, IN | $113,614 | $19,000 | +139% | Strong payoff |
| 9 | Rice UniversityBachelor's Degree | Houston, TX | $113,605 | $13,178 | +194% | Strong payoff |
| 10 | University of California, Santa BarbaraBachelor's Degree | Santa Barbara, CA | $113,317 | $14,937 | +179% | Strong payoff |
| 11 | Texas A&M University-College StationBachelor's Degree | College Station, TX | $111,073 | $18,135 | +149% | Strong payoff |
| 12 | Northwestern UniversityBachelor's Degree | Evanston, IL | $111,040 | $16,500 | +123% | Strong payoff |
| 13 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityBachelor's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $110,378 | $23,125 | +112% | Strong payoff |
| 14 | University of HoustonBachelor's Degree | Houston, TX | $110,184 | $20,000 | +175% | Strong payoff |
| 15 | University of PennsylvaniaBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $109,884 | $20,500 | +120% | Strong payoff |
| 16 | University of FloridaBachelor's Degree | Gainesville, FL | $109,607 | $20,050 | +213% | Strong payoff |
| 17 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusBachelor's Degree | Seattle, WA | $109,551 | $19,875 | +173% | Strong payoff |
| 18 | North Carolina A&T State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Greensboro, NC | $109,537 | $26,000 | +189% | Strong payoff |
| 19 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborBachelor's Degree | Ann Arbor, MI | $109,405 | $21,250 | +177% | Strong payoff |
| 20 | University of California, Los AngelesBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $108,066 | $18,205 | +174% | Strong payoff |
| 21 | Washington University in St LouisBachelor's Degree | St. Louis, MO | $107,843 | $19,500 | +135% | Strong payoff |
| 22 | Northeastern UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $107,767 | $27,000 | +107% | Strong payoff |
| 23 | University of MississippiBachelor's Degree | University, MS | $107,548 | $22,750 | +168% | Strong payoff |
| 24 | Auburn UniversityBachelor's Degree | Auburn, AL | $106,726 | $23,104 | +123% | Strong payoff |
| 25 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $106,011 | $25,350 | +118% | Strong payoff |
| 26 | University of Virginia-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Charlottesville, VA | $105,724 | $17,733 | +128% | Strong payoff |
| 27 | North Carolina State University at RaleighBachelor's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $104,705 | $22,244 | +140% | Strong payoff |
| 28 | Purdue University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | West Lafayette, IN | $104,514 | $21,500 | +150% | Strong payoff |
| 29 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignBachelor's Degree | Champaign, IL | $104,317 | $22,850 | +150% | Strong payoff |
| 30 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $104,104 | $27,000 | +159% | Strong payoff |
| 31 | University of DelawareBachelor's Degree | Newark, DE | $103,910 | $26,058 | +135% | Strong payoff |
| 32 | Kettering UniversityBachelor's Degree | Flint, MI | $103,868 | $29,000 | +85% | Positive payoff |
| 33 | Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | University Park, PA | $103,728 | $26,831 | +89% | Positive payoff |
| 34 | Villanova UniversityBachelor's Degree | Villanova, PA | $103,601 | $27,000 | +65% | Positive payoff |
| 35 | University of Rhode IslandBachelor's Degree | Kingston, RI | $103,525 | $27,000 | +120% | Strong payoff |
| 36 | California State Polytechnic University-PomonaBachelor's Degree | Pomona, CA | $102,849 | $21,812 | +156% | Strong payoff |
| 37 | University of California, DavisBachelor's Degree | Davis, CA | $102,649 | $16,000 | +141% | Strong payoff |
| 38 | Michigan State UniversityBachelor's Degree | East Lansing, MI | $102,223 | $26,573 | +121% | Strong payoff |
| 39 | University of Maryland-College ParkBachelor's Degree | College Park, MD | $102,149 | $23,250 | +135% | Strong payoff |
| 40 | University of Louisiana at LafayetteBachelor's Degree | Lafayette, LA | $102,119 | $22,000 | +144% | Strong payoff |
| 41 | University of ArizonaBachelor's Degree | Tucson, AZ | $101,815 | $21,250 | +130% | Strong payoff |
| 42 | Brigham Young UniversityBachelor's Degree | Provo, UT | $101,726 | $13,980 | +134% | Strong payoff |
| 43 | Lehigh UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bethlehem, PA | $101,720 | $27,000 | +73% | Positive payoff |
| 44 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonBachelor's Degree | Madison, WI | $101,676 | $21,947 | +127% | Strong payoff |
| 45 | University of TulsaBachelor's Degree | Tulsa, OK | $101,626 | Not available | +136% | Strong payoff |
| 46 | University of LouisvilleBachelor's Degree | Louisville, KY | $101,068 | $21,500 | +123% | Strong payoff |
| 47 | Lamar UniversityBachelor's Degree | Beaumont, TX | $101,018 | $20,019 | +158% | Strong payoff |
| 48 | The University of AlabamaBachelor's Degree | Tuscaloosa, AL | $100,857 | $23,003 | +107% | Strong payoff |
| 49 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickBachelor's Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | $100,729 | $25,000 | +101% | Strong payoff |
| 50 | University of Southern CaliforniaBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $100,646 | $13,000 | +79% | Positive payoff |
| 51 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointBachelor's Degree | Stevens Point, WI | $100,375 | $22,565 | +132% | Strong payoff |
| 52 | Worcester Polytechnic InstituteBachelor's Degree | Worcester, MA | $100,199 | $27,000 | +57% | Positive payoff |
| 53 | The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $100,191 | Not available | +137% | Strong payoff |
| 54 | Texas Tech UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lubbock, TX | $99,747 | $28,000 | +114% | Strong payoff |
| 55 | Bucknell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lewisburg, PA | $99,536 | $27,000 | +59% | Positive payoff |
| 56 | Washington State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Pullman, WA | $99,506 | $22,500 | +127% | Strong payoff |
| 57 | Drexel UniversityBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $99,338 | $30,860 | +63% | Positive payoff |
| 58 | Florida Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Melbourne, FL | $99,312 | $27,000 | +68% | Positive payoff |
| 59 | Ohio State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | $98,851 | $20,500 | +116% | Strong payoff |
| 60 | Stevens Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Hoboken, NJ | $98,782 | $26,686 | +56% | Positive payoff |
| 61 | Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteBachelor's Degree | Troy, NY | $98,679 | $25,332 | +65% | Positive payoff |
| 62 | Oklahoma State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Stillwater, OK | $98,557 | $25,875 | +114% | Strong payoff |
| 63 | Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Terre Haute, IN | $98,341 | $24,500 | +52% | Positive payoff |
| 64 | University of South Carolina-ColumbiaBachelor's Degree | Columbia, SC | $98,244 | $27,000 | +96% | Positive payoff |
| 65 | Louisiana Tech UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ruston, LA | $98,240 | $18,342 | +134% | Strong payoff |
| 66 | University of UtahBachelor's Degree | Salt Lake City, UT | $98,215 | $22,750 | +117% | Strong payoff |
| 67 | University of KentuckyBachelor's Degree | Lexington, KY | $98,003 | $25,308 | +108% | Strong payoff |
| 68 | University of Massachusetts-AmherstBachelor's Degree | Amherst, MA | $97,990 | $27,000 | +97% | Positive payoff |
| 69 | Texas A&M University-KingsvilleBachelor's Degree | Kingsville, TX | $97,811 | $23,500 | +131% | Strong payoff |
| 70 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityBachelor's Degree | Richmond, VA | $97,781 | $27,000 | +93% | Positive payoff |
| 71 | University of California, IrvineBachelor's Degree | Irvine, CA | $97,656 | $18,500 | +122% | Strong payoff |
| 72 | New Jersey Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Newark, NJ | $97,371 | $26,437 | +113% | Strong payoff |
| 73 | University of IowaBachelor's Degree | Iowa City, IA | $97,329 | $27,000 | +94% | Positive payoff |
| 74 | University of Pittsburgh-JohnstownBachelor's Degree | Johnstown, PA | $97,324 | $26,548 | +107% | Strong payoff |
| 75 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusBachelor's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $97,324 | $26,548 | +73% | Positive payoff |
| 76 | Colorado State University-Fort CollinsBachelor's Degree | Fort Collins, CO | $97,271 | $21,240 | +97% | Positive payoff |
| 77 | University of Cincinnati-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Cincinnati, OH | $97,220 | $21,333 | +85% | Positive payoff |
| 78 | University of DaytonBachelor's Degree | Dayton, OH | $97,184 | $22,999 | +75% | Positive payoff |
| 79 | University of New Mexico-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Albuquerque, NM | $96,810 | $20,187 | +114% | Strong payoff |
| 80 | University of California, San DiegoBachelor's Degree | La Jolla, CA | $96,798 | $18,157 | +125% | Strong payoff |
| 81 | Case Western Reserve UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cleveland, OH | $96,533 | $23,250 | +49% | Positive payoff |
| 82 | West Virginia University Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Beckley, WV | $96,503 | $22,843 | +137% | Strong payoff |
| 83 | West Virginia UniversityBachelor's Degree | Morgantown, WV | $96,503 | $22,843 | +112% | Strong payoff |
| 84 | Manhattan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Riverdale, NY | $96,134 | $26,503 | +77% | Positive payoff |
| 85 | Miami University-OxfordBachelor's Degree | Oxford, OH | $96,025 | $20,500 | +74% | Positive payoff |
| 86 | University of Missouri-ColumbiaBachelor's Degree | Columbia, MO | $95,989 | $27,825 | +95% | Positive payoff |
| 87 | Mississippi State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Mississippi State, MS | $95,968 | $23,298 | +104% | Strong payoff |
| 88 | University of Colorado BoulderBachelor's Degree | Boulder, CO | $95,780 | $24,500 | +80% | Positive payoff |
| 89 | Rowan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Glassboro, NJ | $95,769 | $23,863 | +88% | Positive payoff |
| 90 | University at BuffaloBachelor's Degree | Buffalo, NY | $95,424 | $23,161 | +91% | Positive payoff |
| 91 | University of Massachusetts-LowellBachelor's Degree | Lowell, MA | $94,972 | $27,000 | +101% | Strong payoff |
| 92 | University of MaineBachelor's Degree | Orono, ME | $94,964 | $20,425 | +100% | Positive payoff |
| 93 | Missouri University of Science and TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Rolla, MO | $94,686 | $24,250 | +103% | Strong payoff |
| 94 | Johns Hopkins UniversityBachelor's Degree | Baltimore, MD | $94,671 | $15,000 | +95% | Positive payoff |
| 95 | Rochester Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Rochester, NY | $94,641 | $30,750 | +55% | Positive payoff |
| 96 | Colorado School of MinesBachelor's Degree | Golden, CO | $94,598 | $27,000 | +68% | Positive payoff |
| 97 | Michigan Technological UniversityBachelor's Degree | Houghton, MI | $94,478 | $24,750 | +109% | Strong payoff |
| 98 | University of South FloridaBachelor's Degree | Tampa, FL | $94,387 | $24,500 | +125% | Strong payoff |
| 99 | University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusBachelor's Degree | Norman, OK | $94,291 | $26,000 | +104% | Strong payoff |
| 100 | University of ToledoBachelor's Degree | Toledo, OH | $94,065 | $25,750 | +97% | Positive payoff |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.