2026 Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools in New Jersey
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the chemical engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools
Princeton University tops our 2026 list of the best value chemical engineering schools in New Jersey. Set in the city of Princeton, Princeton University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $62,688. Students borrow a median of $10,888 to complete the chemical engineering program here. Chemical Engineering graduates of Princeton University earn a median of $67,532 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 5%.
New Jersey Institute Of Technology is a great value for students pursuing a degree in chemical engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Newark, New Jersey Institute Of Technology is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,974, while out-of-state students pay about $37,664. Chemical Engineering graduates carry a median of $26,437 in student loans. Early-career chemical engineering graduates make about $79,515. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in chemical engineering will find it at Rowan University, which ranked #3. Located in the suburb of Glassboro, Rowan University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,574, compared with $26,932 for out-of-state students. Chemical Engineering graduates carry a median of $23,863 in student loans. Early-career chemical engineering graduates make about $61,045. That is a strong return on a $23,863 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in chemical engineering will find it at Rutgers University New Brunswick, which ranked #4. Set in the city of New Brunswick, Rutgers University New Brunswick is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,929, with out-of-state students paying around $37,441. Chemical Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career chemical engineering graduates make about $78,979. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
Stevens Institute Of Technology is a great value for students pursuing a degree in chemical engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. Stevens Institute Of Technology is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Hoboken. Students from in state pay about $63,462 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,686 to complete the chemical engineering program here. Early-career chemical engineering graduates make about $79,339. Set against $26,686 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 48%.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
[Chemical Engineering](/majors/engineering/chemical-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
