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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering in Pennsylvania

9 Ranked Colleges
420 Degrees Awarded
$33,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 in Pennsylvania” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Pennsylvania, there were 644 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $70,311 and $26,601 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 420 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking analyzed 9 colleges that offered 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the chemical engineering program at the school. 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 for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree chem eng students.

Top 9 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering in Pennsylvania

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $27,938 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree chem eng students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Pitt Chemical Engineering Report

#2

Widener University

Chester, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Widener University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Chester, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

Widener also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Widener University is $31,345 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.

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 Widener University

#3

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lehigh University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. Lehigh University is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

Lehigh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Lehigh University is $29,301 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Lehigh University

#4

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lafayette College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. Lafayette 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.

Lafayette also took the #4 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette is $32,551 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.

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

Full Lafayette College Chemical Engineering Report

#5

Villanova University

Villanova, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Villanova University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. Villanova University is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 59 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

Villanova also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Villanova University is $41,027 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree chem eng students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Villanova University

#6

Drexel University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #6, Drexel University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 78 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

Drexel did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Drexel is $34,914 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree chem eng students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Drexel University Chemical Engineering Report

#7

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Bucknell University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

Bucknell also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $42,502 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree chem eng students per year to attend Bucknell.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Bucknell University

#8

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 40 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

Carnegie Mellon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon University is $34,508 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree chem eng students.

The 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. The school has an impressive 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 96%.

Full Carnegie Mellon University Chemical Engineering Report

#9

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $25,802 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree chem eng students per year to attend UPenn.

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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Pennsylvania

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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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