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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

156 Ranked Colleges
10,680 Degrees Awarded
$5,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 13,314 people earned their degree in chemical engineering, making the major the 53rd most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 10,680 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 156 colleges that offered a degree in chemical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent chemical engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the chemical engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Chemical Engineering Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $1,866 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Northwestern

#2

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $5,456 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Caltech Chemical Engineering Report

#3

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 156 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #3 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 11 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #5 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $-1,387 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Stanford University

#4

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $5,273 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St Louis

#5

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Princeton, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Princeton is $1,386 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Princeton

#6

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend MIT is $4,535 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

#7

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Florida ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 106 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $1,994 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Florida

#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 113 students in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #10 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,166 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#9

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#17 in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $3,526 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Johns Hopkins

#10

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#11 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 41 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $3,156 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Vanderbilt University

#11

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#7 in overall quality

Rice University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

Rice also took the #7 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $3,437 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Rice University

#12

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#8 in overall quality

Cornell University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 61 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $7,484 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Cornell

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 113 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,367 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UW - Madison

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 143 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,477 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#15

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 20% in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 161 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Purdue is in the top on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus

#16

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 84 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $12,498 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Notre Dame Chemical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #17, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $7,850 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

Michigan Technological University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Houghton, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Michigan Tech is $8,295 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Michigan Technological University

#13 in overall quality

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school awarded 193 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Georgia Tech has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Tech is $9,162 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

#20

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#18 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 112 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

#21

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. UMCP is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $8,054 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Chemical Engineering Report

#22

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#24 in overall quality

Tufts University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tufts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Medford, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tufts has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,267 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Tufts Chemical Engineering Report

#23

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #23, Florida State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,360 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Florida State

#24

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
Top 25% in overall quality

North Carolina State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NC State is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 132 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend NC State is $7,285 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at NC State

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 183 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,194 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Ohio State

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Mikulova.

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