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2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region

16 Ranked Colleges
1,317 Degrees Awarded
$15,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region” ranking.

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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,317 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region” ranking analyzed 16 colleges that offered 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

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 the Southwest Region” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 Southwest Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region.

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering in the Southwest Region

#1

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lamar University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region list. Located in Beaumont, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 47 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

Lamar University also took the #10 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lamar University is $12,311 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Lamar University

#2

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Houston landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 81 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

UH also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $12,838 for southwest region bachelor’s degree chem eng students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full University of Houston Chemical Engineering Report

#3

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas Tech University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region. Texas Tech is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 98 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech also took the #5 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech is $17,571 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.

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

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $14,648 for southwest region bachelor’s degree chem eng students per year to attend OSU.

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

Full OSU Chemical Engineering Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 93 students in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma also took the #9 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oklahoma is $21,145 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Chemical Engineering Report

New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #6. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NMSU Main Campus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $8,659 for southwest region bachelor’s degree chem eng students.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

#14 in overall quality

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is a public institution located in Socorro, New Mexico. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees 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 Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is $14,595 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.

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.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at New Mexico Tech

#8

Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, Texas

With a ranking of #8, Prairie View A & M University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region list. PVAMU is a public institution located in Prairie View, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

PVAMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $14,582 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students per year to attend PVAMU.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Prairie View A & M University

Texas A&M University - Kingsville landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking. Texas A&M Kingsville is a medium-sized school located in Kingsville, Texas that handed out 68 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M Kingsville, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - Kingsville is $13,778 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M Kingsville

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 164 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Tempe, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $11,706 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.

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

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Chemical Engineering Report

With a ranking of #11, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region list. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 180 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $18,023 for southwest region bachelor’s degree chem eng students per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Full UT Austin Chemical Engineering Report

#12

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas

Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 221 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - College Station is $19,057 for southwest region bachelor’s degree chem eng students.

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

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

#13

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

UNM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $14,446 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students per year to attend UNM.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UNM

#14

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region list. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school awarded 71 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $15,016 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.

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

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Arizona

#15

University of Tulsa

Tulsa, Oklahoma

University of Tulsa ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region list. This small school is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Tulsa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $20,936 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students per year to attend University of Tulsa.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full University of Tulsa Chemical Engineering Report

#16

Rice University

Houston, Texas

Rice University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #16. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Rice is $16,999 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Rice 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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