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2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

156 Ranked Colleges
10,680 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 156 colleges that offer a degree in chemical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great chemical engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the chemical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

MIT also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $6,049 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 MIT

#2

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 #2 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Princeton is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

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 $7,576 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full Princeton University Chemical Engineering Report

#3

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 #3 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $6,452 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Northwestern University

#4

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stanford has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $1,959 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 more about Chemical Engineering at Stanford

#5

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 156 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 36 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rice is $7,318 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Rice University

#6

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#6 in overall quality

Washington University in St Louis came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Washington University in St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $11,832 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 WUSTL

#7

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#11 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $8,086 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Vanderbilt University

#8

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#8 in overall quality

Cornell University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $11,869 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Cornell

#9

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#17 in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 69 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins also took the #17 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $9,049 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Johns Hopkins University Chemical Engineering Report

#10

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Caltech also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $8,042 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California Institute of Technology.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at California Institute of Technology

#11

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #10 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $10,028 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#12

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 20% in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 161 bachelors’s degrees 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 in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $9,654 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Purdue.

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%.

Full Purdue Chemical Engineering Report

#13

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Florida landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 106 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UF is $8,528 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 2.0% 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%.

Full UF Chemical Engineering Report

Top 25% in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 39 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,887 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Columbia.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Columbia University in the City of New York

#19 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 113 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $13,227 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#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 $48-$75k list. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 84 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $17,768 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Notre Dame

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 $48-$75k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $9,694 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Chemical Engineering Report

#22 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 143 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $13,351 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UIUC

#19

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#18 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 112 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $13,081 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley

#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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 193 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Tech is $15,213 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

#21

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
Top 25% in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 74 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $13,081 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UCLA

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 180 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also took the #9 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $15,757 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Chemical Engineering Report

#23

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
Top 20% in overall quality

Lafayette College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Lafayette College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Easton, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Lafayette is in the top on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $17,121 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lafayette.

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%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Lafayette Chemical Engineering Report

Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. This medium-sized school is located in Houghton, Michigan, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Michigan Technological University is $13,720 for Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Michigan Technological University

Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend BYU is $12,466 for bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full BYU Chemical Engineering Report

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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