# Chemical Engineering

> Chemical Engineering is a field of study in the Engineering area.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/chemical-engineering
- CIP code: 14.07 (Engineering)
- Colleges offering it: 182 at its most common degree level
- Value ranking: https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/engineering

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 5 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Associate's | 29 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bachelor's | 182 | $80,418 | $97,202 | $21,500 |
| Master's | 146 | $91,481 | $114,037 | not reported |
| Doctoral | 118 | $145,290 | $173,064 | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 16 | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/massachusetts-institute-of-technology-mit-1615) | Cambridge, MA | $122,093 | not reported |
| [Vanderbilt University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/vanderbilt-university-3113) | Nashville, TN | $121,641 | not reported |
| [University of California-Berkeley](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Berkeley, CA | $121,027 | $16,167 |
| [Cornell University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cornell-university-new-york-710) | Ithaca, NY | $116,165 | $13,500 |
| [Lafayette College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/lafayette-college-1414) | Easton, PA | $115,726 | not reported |
| [The University of Texas at Austin](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-university-of-texas-at-austin-main-campus-2764) | Austin, TX | $115,423 | $15,438 |
| [Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college-lsu-1541) | Baton Rouge, LA | $114,226 | $15,076 |
| [University of Notre Dame-South Bend](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-notre-dame-south-bend-in-3005) | Notre Dame, IN | $113,614 | $19,000 |
| [Rice University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/rice-university-2227) | Houston, TX | $113,605 | not reported |
| [University of California-Santa Barbara](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-santa-barbara-ucsb-2888) | Santa Barbara, CA | $113,317 | $13,833 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Architectural and Engineering Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/architectural-and-engineering-managers): $171,270 median pay
- [Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/biofuels-biodiesel-technology-and-product-development-managers): $171,270 median pay
- [Chemical Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/chemical-engineers): $125,040 median pay
- [Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/energy-engineers-except-wind-and-solar): $122,930 median pay
- [Engineers, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/engineers-all-other): $122,930 median pay
- [Mechatronics Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mechatronics-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Microsystems Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/microsystems-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Nanosystems Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nanosystems-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Photonics Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/photonics-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Robotics Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/robotics-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Solar Energy Systems Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/solar-energy-systems-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Wind Energy Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/wind-energy-engineers): $122,930 median pay
- [Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/bioengineers-and-biomedical-engineers): $109,370 median pay
- [Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/engineering-teachers-postsecondary): $109,270 median pay

## More in Engineering

- [Engineering, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/engineering-general): 452 colleges
- [Mechanical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/mechanical-engineering): 395 colleges
- [Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/electrical-electronics-and-communications-engineering): 387 colleges
- [Computer Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/computer-engineering): 367 colleges
- [Civil Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/civil-engineering): 300 colleges
- [Biomedical/Medical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/biomedical-medical-engineering): 200 colleges
- [Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/environmental-environmental-health-engineering): 130 colleges
- [Industrial Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/industrial-engineering): 128 colleges

## Guides on this field

- [How to Compare Colleges by Major: Engineering, STEM, Pre-Med, and Business](https://www.collegesref.com/blog/how-to-compare-colleges-by-major)

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/