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2022 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

16 Ranked Colleges
1,595 Degrees Awarded
$10,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 13,610 people earned their degree in chemical engineering, making the major the 66th most popular in the United States. 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 Southwest region, there were 1,595 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,888 and $21,468 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 16 colleges that offer 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.

More Ways to Rank Chemical Engineering Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 16 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 55 ’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Rice is $3,437 for Southwest Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. 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 Rice

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #2 spot on the list. Texas A&M College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 273 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - College Station is $11,454 for southwest 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 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University - College Station

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #3 spot on the list. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 225 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Austin has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $12,203 for southwest 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 students. 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%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at UT Austin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. OSU is a public institution located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $8,669 for southwest region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Chemical Engineering Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arizona State University - Tempe. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 198 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Tempe, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $7,044 for southwest region 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 ASU - Tempe

#6

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

With a ranking of #6, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 118 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

Texas Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $12,317 for Southwest Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas Tech University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Texas Tech

#7

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lamar University is a fairly large school located in Beaumont, Texas that handed out 57 ’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Lamar University also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Lamar University is $9,200 for southwest region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Lamar University

#8

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 93 ’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Arizona has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,562 for Southwest Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Arizona.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Arizona

#9

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UH is a large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 108 ’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, UH has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston is $10,203 for Southwest 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 86%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Houston

New Mexico State University - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and it awarded 43 ’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

NMSU Main Campus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $6,896 for Southwest Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Socorro, New Mexico, this small public school handed out 20 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at New Mexico Tech, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for New Mexico Tech is $10,924 for southwest region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Full New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Chemical Engineering Report

Texas A&M University - Kingsville ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas A&M Kingsville is a medium-sized school located in Kingsville, Texas that handed out 76 ’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M Kingsville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M Kingsville is $11,105 for southwest region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Texas A&M Kingsville Chemical Engineering Report

#13

Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, Texas

Prairie View A & M University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Prairie View A & M University is a public institution located in Prairie View, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at PVAMU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Prairie View A & M University is $12,291 for Southwest Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Prairie View A & M University

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Norman, Oklahoma, and it awarded 104 ’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Oklahoma has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $16,675 for southwest region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, 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 87%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Oklahoma

#15

University of Tulsa

Tulsa, Oklahoma

University of Tulsa came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 42 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

University of Tulsa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Tulsa is $14,391 for Southwest Region Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low 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%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Tulsa

#16

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

University of New Mexico - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a public institution located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school has a large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNM also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for UNM is $13,242 for southwest region chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of New Mexico - Main Campus Chemical Engineering Report

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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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