2023 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k)
154
Ranked Colleges
12,917
Degrees Awarded
$5,300
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Chemical Engineering is the 70th most popular major in the country with 12,917 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, chemical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $65,870 and had an average of $23,285 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 154 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.
More Ways to Rank Chemical Engineering Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 154 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 65 students in 2020-2021.
Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $1,233 for Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Stanford University Chemical Engineering Report
Out of the 154 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 84 students in 2020-2021.
MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $5,193 for chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Princeton, New Jersey, and it awarded 52 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Princeton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $2,958 for Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Princeton University.
The impressive undergraduate 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. The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at Princeton
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 177 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at U-M
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $245 for chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 97%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at Northwestern
Rice University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 46 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
Rice also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $4,443 for chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rice University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Rice
Vanderbilt University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 37 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $3,176 for chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at Vanderbilt University
University of Pennsylvania ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UPenn is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 48 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $580 for Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Pennsylvania
With a ranking of #9, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 144 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $65 for 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Florida
Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 136 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $2,084 for Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad 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%.
Full Johns Hopkins University Chemical Engineering Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 121 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $3,981 for chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Washington University in St Louis landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 85 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,556 for Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WUSTL.
The low undergrad 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full WUSTL Chemical Engineering Report
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 237 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
Purdue also took the #12 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,995 for Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus
Cornell University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 131 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $5,244 for chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Cornell University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 181 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $4,858 for chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UIUC Chemical Engineering Report
University of California - Berkeley landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 175 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $8,450 for Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at UC Berkeley
Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school awarded 241 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
Georgia Tech also took the #9 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Tech is $8,818 for 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Chemical Engineering Report
North Carolina State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NC State is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 218 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, NC State has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $7,283 for Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%. 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 full report on Chemical Engineering at NC State
With a ranking of #19, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 137 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities excels when it comes to chem eng quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $7,698 for chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.
The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UMN Twin Cities Chemical Engineering Report
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 114 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia also took the #19 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,873 for Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia.
The low undergrad 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%. The undergraduate 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. 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 Columbia
University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 118 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also claimed a top spot on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $5,194 for 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 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at UW Seattle
Tufts University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 31 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $8,122 for chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad 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 Tufts
With a ranking of #23, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 126 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Carnegie Mellon also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon University is $16,456 for 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 Carnegie Mellon
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 157 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,176 for chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USF Tampa.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, 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.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of South Florida - Main Campus
University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 64 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $12,476 for 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 undergrad 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 Virginia
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