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2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

32 Ranked Colleges
2,548 Degrees Awarded
$9,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

Across the Southeast region, there were 2,548 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $69,096 and $23,693 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 32 colleges that offered a degree in chemical engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality chemical engineering programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

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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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #1 spot on the list. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 37 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $3,176 for southeast region 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 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Vanderbilt University

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 144 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $65 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at UF

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 241 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgia Tech also took the #1 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $8,818 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 full report on Chemical Engineering at Georgia Tech

4
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Carolina State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Carolina State University is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 218 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

NC State also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $7,283 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, 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 94%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at NC State

5

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 157 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $4,176 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full USF Tampa Chemical Engineering Report

6
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #6, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also took the #3 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $12,476 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Virginia - Main Campus

7
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 51 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $4,950 for southeast region 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 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Florida State

8

With a ranking of #8, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Louisiana State University is a large public school situated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It awarded 147 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Louisiana State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $11,318 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Louisiana State University.

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 undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Louisiana State University Chemical Engineering Report

9
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #9, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 110 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $11,934 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Virginia Tech Chemical Engineering Report

10

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Knoxville is a large school located in Knoxville, Tennessee that handed out 112 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Knoxville also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend UT Knoxville is $10,433 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, 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 89%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at UT Knoxville

11
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Clemson, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 74 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Clemson, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $13,744 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Clemson.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Clemson University Chemical Engineering Report

12

University of South Carolina - Columbia came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UofSC is a public institution located in Columbia, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 79 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UofSC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $12,130 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of South Carolina - Columbia.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UofSC Chemical Engineering Report

13
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. WVU is a public institution located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

WVU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WVU is $10,014 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at WVU

14
NC A&T crest
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, North Carolina

With a ranking of #14, North Carolina A & T State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Carolina A & T State University is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 25 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NC A&T, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,827 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NC A&T.

Full North Carolina A & T State University Chemical Engineering Report

15
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mississippi State is a public institution located in Mississippi State, Mississippi. The school has a large population, and it awarded 104 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Mississippi State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,025 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mississippi State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Mississippi State Chemical Engineering Report

16
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fayetteville, Arkansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 81 students in 2020-2021.

UARK also took the #17 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Arkansas is $12,003 for southeast region 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 undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.

Full University of Arkansas Chemical Engineering Report

17
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Kentucky is a large public school situated in Lexington, Kentucky. It awarded 87 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

UK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UK is $12,593 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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.

Full UK Chemical Engineering Report

18
UofL crest
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky

University of Louisville came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, this large public school awarded 53 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

UofL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Louisville is $13,431 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 University of Louisville

19
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama

Auburn University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Auburn is a large school located in Auburn, Alabama that handed out 110 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Auburn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $17,866 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Auburn University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Auburn Chemical Engineering Report

20

The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is a fairly large public school situated in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It awarded 42 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,625 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Chattanooga.

Full UT Chattanooga Chemical Engineering Report

21

Tennessee Technological University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tennessee Tech University is a medium-sized public school situated in Cookeville, Tennessee. It awarded 65 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Tennessee Tech University also took the #23 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tennessee Technological University is $11,561 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.

Full Tennessee Tech University Chemical Engineering Report

22
Louisiana Tech crest
Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, Louisiana

Louisiana Tech University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Louisiana Tech is a fairly large school located in Ruston, Louisiana that handed out 26 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Louisiana Tech is $8,257 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Louisiana Tech

23
Ole Miss crest
University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Mississippi is a large school located in University, Mississippi that handed out 28 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,764 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Mississippi.

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

Full University of Mississippi Chemical Engineering Report

24

University of Louisiana at Lafayette came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Lafayette, Louisiana, this fairly large public school handed out 44 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,990 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UL Lafayette.

Full UL Lafayette Chemical Engineering Report

25

University of South Alabama landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Mobile, Alabama, this fairly large public school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

USA also took the #25 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Alabama is $12,906 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of South Alabama

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