Best Colleges for Chemical Engineering (2026)

122 programs ranked by graduate earnings, acceptance rates, and outcomes — powered by federal data from the U.S. Department of Education.

122

Programs

$90,825

Avg Field Earnings

$21,621

Avg Net Price

56%

Avg Admit Rate

There are 122 accredited Chemical Engineering programs across U.S. colleges and universities, with graduate earnings ranging from $30,778 to $126,419. University of Pennsylvania produces the highest-earning graduates, while the average program graduate earns $90,825 within four years of completion. Whether you're focused on maximizing earning potential or finding the best value, this data — sourced from the U.S. Department of Education — helps you compare programs side by side.

Quick Facts — Chemical Engineering Programs

Highest Earning

University of Pennsylvania

$126,419field earnings

Most Selective

Stanford University

4%acceptance rate

Best Grad Rate

Duke University

97%6-yr grad rate

Most Affordable

CUNY City College

$3,776avg net price

Top 15 Colleges for Chemical Engineering by Graduate Earnings

Ranked by field-specific earnings after graduation. Public and private nonprofit only.

#	School	Location	Type	Earnings	Admit Rate	Net Price
1	University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, PA	Private Nonprofit	$126,419	5%	$28,699
2	Rice University	Houston, TX	Private Nonprofit	$121,099	8%	$13,370
3	Vanderbilt University	Nashville, TN	Private Nonprofit	$116,662	6%	$15,846
4	University of California-Los Angeles	Los Angeles, CA	Public	$116,525	9%	$12,548
5	Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore, MD	Private Nonprofit	$114,673	6%	$18,809
6	Santa Clara University	Santa Clara, CA	Private Nonprofit	$114,426	48%	$50,062
7	Tulane University of Louisiana	New Orleans, LA	Private Nonprofit	$112,914	14%	$39,949
8	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Cambridge, MA	Private Nonprofit	$111,738	5%	$20,111
9	University of California-Berkeley	Berkeley, CA	Public	$110,597	11%	$13,481
10	Carnegie Mellon University	Pittsburgh, PA	Private Nonprofit	$109,648	12%	$31,944
11	University of Virginia-Main Campus	Charlottesville, VA	Public	$109,551	17%	$21,565
12	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo, CA	Public	$109,232	31%	$16,665
13	California State University-Long Beach	Long Beach, CA	Public	$106,540	46%	$10,440
14	Lehigh University	Bethlehem, PA	Private Nonprofit	$106,260	26%	$36,931
15	Wayne State University	Detroit, MI	Public	$106,048	81%	$12,766

Best Value Chemical Engineering Programs

Lowest net price among schools with above-median Chemical Engineering graduate earnings (above $92,890).

#1 Best ValuePublic

CUNY City College

New York, NY

Net Price

$3,776

Field Earnings

$95,685

#2 Best ValuePublic

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA

Net Price

$10,440

Field Earnings

$106,540

#3 Best ValuePublic

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC

Net Price

$11,655

Field Earnings

$97,992

#4 Best ValuePublic

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Atlanta, GA

Net Price

$12,116

Field Earnings

$102,755

#5 Best ValuePublic

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA

Net Price

$12,470

Field Earnings

$98,687

What the Data Tells Us

16 of the top 15 programs by earnings are at public universities — 9 are private nonprofits.
2The #1 program (University of Pennsylvania) pays 39% more than the average Chemical Engineering program nationally.
3Average acceptance rate among Chemical Engineering programs is 56% — selectivity varies widely by school.
4Best-value programs combine above-median earnings (>$92,890) with lower-than-average net prices.

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All Chemical Engineering Programs

All 122 institutions offering Chemical Engineering. Click column headers to sort. Includes for-profit institutions.

School	City	State	Type	Field Earnings	Admit Rate	Net Price
University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	PA	Private Nonprofit	$126,419	5%	$28,699
Rice University	Houston	TX	Private Nonprofit	$121,099	8%	$13,370
Vanderbilt University	Nashville	TN	Private Nonprofit	$116,662	6%	$15,846
University of California-Los Angeles	Los Angeles	CA	Public	$116,525	9%	$12,548
Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore	MD	Private Nonprofit	$114,673	6%	$18,809
Santa Clara University	Santa Clara	CA	Private Nonprofit	$114,426	48%	$50,062
Tulane University of Louisiana	New Orleans	LA	Private Nonprofit	$112,914	14%	$39,949
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Cambridge	MA	Private Nonprofit	$111,738	5%	$20,111
University of California-Berkeley	Berkeley	CA	Public	$110,597	11%	$13,481
Carnegie Mellon University	Pittsburgh	PA	Private Nonprofit	$109,648	12%	$31,944
University of Virginia-Main Campus	Charlottesville	VA	Public	$109,551	17%	$21,565
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo	CA	Public	$109,232	31%	$16,665
California State University-Long Beach	Long Beach	CA	Public	$106,540	46%	$10,440
Lehigh University	Bethlehem	PA	Private Nonprofit	$106,260	26%	$36,931
Wayne State University	Detroit	MI	Public	$106,048	81%	$12,766
Duke University	Durham	NC	Private Nonprofit	$105,921	6%	$29,612
University of Southern California	Los Angeles	CA	Private Nonprofit	$105,415	10%	$32,740
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Troy	NY	Private Nonprofit	$103,306	63%	$36,228
Northwestern University	Evanston	IL	Private Nonprofit	$102,994	8%	$29,167
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus	Atlanta	GA	Public	$102,755	14%	$12,116
The University of Texas at Austin	Austin	TX	Public	$102,544	27%	$19,857
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	Ann Arbor	MI	Public	$102,342	16%	$13,138
Drexel University	Philadelphia	PA	Private Nonprofit	$101,362	79%	$38,509
University of Delaware	Newark	DE	Public	$101,175	71%	$17,799
Temple University	Philadelphia	PA	Public	$101,101	80%	$28,198
University of Washington-Seattle Campus	Seattle	WA	Public	$100,930	39%	$14,091
George Washington University	Washington	DC	Private Nonprofit	$100,601	47%	$36,586
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	University Park	PA	Public	$100,416	61%	$32,875
Oregon State University	Corvallis	OR	Public	$100,182	77%	$19,604
Stevens Institute of Technology	Hoboken	NJ	Private Nonprofit	$99,842	48%	$41,346
University of Wisconsin-Madison	Madison	WI	Public	$99,762	45%	$17,354
Wentworth Institute of Technology	Boston	MA	Private Nonprofit	$99,617	91%	$34,170
Syracuse University	Syracuse	NY	Private Nonprofit	$99,521	46%	$38,793
Boston University	Boston	MA	Private Nonprofit	$99,024	11%	$24,402
University of Miami	Coral Gables	FL	Private Nonprofit	$98,997	19%	$37,244
University of California-San Diego	La Jolla	CA	Public	$98,687	27%	$12,470
University of California-Davis	Davis	CA	Public	$98,504	42%	$14,741
North Carolina State University at Raleigh	Raleigh	NC	Public	$98,129	42%	$17,303
Colorado State University-Fort Collins	Fort Collins	CO	Public	$98,033	89%	$21,279
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Chapel Hill	NC	Public	$97,992	15%	$11,655
University of South Carolina-Columbia	Columbia	SC	Public	$97,927	60%	$22,811
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Champaign	IL	Public	$97,926	42%	$14,355
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	Minneapolis	MN	Public	$97,611	80%	$16,778
University of California-Irvine	Irvine	CA	Public	$96,874	29%	$14,251
University of Rhode Island	Kingston	RI	Public	$96,532	72%	$21,440
University of Utah	Salt Lake City	UT	Public	$96,353	86%	$16,200
University of Rochester	Rochester	NY	Private Nonprofit	$95,957	40%	$29,278
Marquette University	Milwaukee	WI	Private Nonprofit	$95,728	81%	$31,487
CUNY City College	New York	NY	Public	$95,685	60%	$3,776
University of Connecticut	Storrs	CT	Public	$95,682	52%	$25,097
University of Arizona	Tucson	AZ	Public	$95,625	86%	$16,674
Binghamton University	Vestal	NY	Public	$94,859	39%	$21,620
Case Western Reserve University	Cleveland	OH	Private Nonprofit	$94,168	37%	$41,190
Rochester Institute of Technology	Rochester	NY	Private Nonprofit	$94,103	67%	$34,906
Clemson University	Clemson	SC	Public	$93,705	38%	$22,253
George Mason University	Fairfax	VA	Public	$93,533	87%	$17,915
Purdue University-Main Campus	West Lafayette	IN	Public	$93,434	50%	$14,600
Texas A&M University-College Station	College Station	TX	Public	$93,305	57%	$21,315
Milwaukee School of Engineering	Milwaukee	WI	Private Nonprofit	$93,229	59%	$22,453
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus	Durham	NH	Public	$92,984	88%	$23,805
Arizona State University Campus Immersion	Tempe	AZ	Public	$92,974	90%	$14,967
Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Worcester	MA	Private Nonprofit	$92,806	60%	$43,071
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth	North Dartmouth	MA	Public	$91,805	91%	$20,927
Florida Gulf Coast University	Fort Myers	FL	Public	$91,676	63%	$12,568
Brown University	Providence	RI	Private Nonprofit	$91,674	5%	$25,184
North Carolina A & T State University	Greensboro	NC	Public	$91,235	50%	$10,846
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	Cincinnati	OH	Public	$90,897	85%	$25,648
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology	Terre Haute	IN	Private Nonprofit	$90,484	77%	$42,513
University of Alabama at Birmingham	Birmingham	AL	Public	$90,415	88%	$18,749
Ohio State University-Main Campus	Columbus	OH	Public	$90,065	61%	$17,339
University of California-Riverside	Riverside	CA	Public	$90,041	76%	$14,304
Rutgers University-New Brunswick	New Brunswick	NJ	Public	$89,850	58%	$24,406
Widener University	Chester	PA	Private Nonprofit	$89,794	71%	$25,759
Stony Brook University	Stony Brook	NY	Public	$89,560	49%	$18,784
Miami University-Oxford	Oxford	OH	Public	$89,052	75%	$28,384
University of California-Merced	Merced	CA	Public	$88,795	91%	$11,983
Florida International University	Miami	FL	Public	$88,656	55%	$9,288
University of North Texas	Denton	TX	Public	$88,484	72%	$15,649
Indiana University-Indianapolis	Indianapolis	IN	Public	$88,435	76%	$11,668
New Jersey Institute of Technology	Newark	NJ	Public	$88,396	65%	$16,504
Illinois Institute of Technology	Chicago	IL	Private Nonprofit	$88,378	55%	$18,425
University of Memphis	Memphis	TN	Public	$88,279	72%	$12,397
Duquesne University	Pittsburgh	PA	Private Nonprofit	$88,272	84%	$37,730
Florida Institute of Technology	Melbourne	FL	Private Nonprofit	$88,120	58%	$35,639
University of Florida	Gainesville	FL	Public	$88,078	24%	$6,541
Western New England University	Springfield	MA	Private Nonprofit	$87,838	83%	$27,290
The University of Texas at Dallas	Richardson	TX	Public	$87,420	65%	$18,267
University of Illinois Chicago	Chicago	IL	Public	$87,393	77%	$10,974
University of Iowa	Iowa City	IA	Public	$86,894	84%	$22,531
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	Pittsburgh	PA	Public	$86,893	58%	$30,434
Saint Louis University	Saint Louis	MO	Private Nonprofit	$86,844	75%	$24,398
Virginia Commonwealth University	Richmond	VA	Public	$86,295	93%	$23,433
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	Denver	CO	Public	$86,190	75%	$11,900
Union College	Schenectady	NY	Private Nonprofit	$86,182	44%	$34,561
University of Toledo	Toledo	OH	Public	$85,751	92%	$17,249
Louisiana Tech University	Ruston	LA	Public	$85,454	86%	$11,864
University at Buffalo	Buffalo	NY	Public	$84,920	74%	$20,995
University of Louisville	Louisville	KY	Public	$84,311	79%	$17,988
Rowan University	Glassboro	NJ	Public	$84,059	78%	$22,408
Michigan Technological University	Houghton	MI	Public	$83,916	92%	$14,182
University of Akron Main Campus	Akron	OH	Public	$82,540	60%	$13,946
The Catholic University of America	Washington	DC	Private Nonprofit	$81,519	83%	$29,561
Lawrence Technological University	Southfield	MI	Private Nonprofit	$80,937	56%	$32,918
University of Maine	Orono	ME	Public	$80,059	97%	$17,510
Wright State University-Main Campus	Dayton	OH	Public	$77,864	96%	$15,415
The University of Texas at San Antonio	San Antonio	TX	Public	$77,774	87%	$10,836
University of the Pacific	Stockton	CA	Private Nonprofit	$77,099	71%	$25,447
University of Arkansas	Fayetteville	AR	Public	$75,972	74%	$18,209
Mississippi State University	Mississippi State	MS	Public	$74,542	78%	$17,595
Wichita State University	Wichita	KS	Public	$72,936	94%	$13,194
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	Knoxville	TN	Public	$69,476	42%	$18,976
Trine University	Angola	IN	Private Nonprofit	$67,702	85%	$25,355
The University of Texas at Arlington	Arlington	TX	Public	$67,246	80%	$13,951
Columbia University in the City of New York	New York	NY	Private Nonprofit	$62,895	4%	$21,590
Cornell University	Ithaca	NY	Private Nonprofit	$61,397	9%	$28,690
Northern Illinois University	Dekalb	IL	Public	$54,047	70%	$13,391
Stanford University	Stanford	CA	Private Nonprofit	$50,487	4%	$13,807
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	Milwaukee	WI	Public	$50,472	91%	$15,014
University of Houston	Houston	TX	Public	$48,329	74%	$14,276
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College	Baton Rouge	LA	Public	$44,717	73%	$19,151
University of Michigan-Dearborn	Dearborn	MI	Public	$38,593	56%	$9,492
Washington State University	Pullman	WA	Public	$30,778	87%	$14,971

Showing 122 of 122 schools