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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

13 Ranked Colleges
839 Degrees Awarded
$12,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Chemical Engineering is the 66th most popular major in the country with 13,610 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, chemical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $62,963 and had an average of $22,564 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 988 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $63,090 and $22,852 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 839 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 13 colleges that offer 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Chemical Engineering Schools

The chem eng school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 42 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, WUSTL has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $5,273 for plains states region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 Washington University in St Louis

#2

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 115 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #2 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,266 for plains states region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UMN Twin Cities

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #3 spot on the list. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public institution located in Rolla, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 101 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri University of Science and Technology did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology is $10,755 for plains states region 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 85%. The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Missouri University of Science and Technology

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 64 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $7,443 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Chemical Engineering Report

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 128 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,054 for plains states region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Iowa State

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $10,940 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Missouri - Columbia

With a ranking of #7, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNL is a large school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 38 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL also took the #6 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $12,216 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#8

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Dakota is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UND also took the #9 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $11,092 for plains states region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UND

#9

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kansas State University is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 70 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend K -State is $14,232 for Plains States Region 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 87%.

Full Kansas State University Chemical Engineering Report

#10

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 49 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $12,975 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Iowa

#11

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

With a ranking of #11, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school handed out 90 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kansas is $14,387 for plains states region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Kansas

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SD Mines is a public institution located in Rapid City, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SD Mines not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,464 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SD Mines.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

#13

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa
#13 in overall quality

Dordt University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dordt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux Center, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Dordt also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Dordt University is $24,967 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Dordt University

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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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