Chemical Engineering: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Chemical Engineering graduates earn a median $98,158 four years after finishing — $49,798/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 1.4 years. Federal data pools 176 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 9,377 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Chemical Engineering ranks #11 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 95% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | $122,093 |
| 2 | Vanderbilt University | TN | $121,641 |
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $121,027 |
| 4 | Cornell University | NY | $116,165 |
| 5 | Lafayette College | PA | $115,726 |
| 6 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | $115,423 |
| 7 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | LA | $114,226 |
| 8 | University of Notre Dame | IN | $113,614 |
| 9 | Rice University | TX | $113,605 |
| 10 | University of California-Santa Barbara | CA | $113,317 |
| 11 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | $111,073 |
| 12 | Northwestern University | IL | $111,040 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.