by our College Data Analytics Team
[Chemical Engineering](/majors/engineering/chemical-engineering/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools on the early-career earnings of their chemical engineering graduates.
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Below are the schools whose chemical engineering graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in chemical engineering, no school beat Case Western Reserve University this year. Set in the city of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the chemical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $98,005.
University Of Dayton came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemical engineering schools. Located in the city of Dayton, University Of Dayton is a private not-for-profit institution. Chemical Engineering graduates of University Of Dayton earn a median of about $99,917 a year early in their careers.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus produces some of the highest-paid graduates in chemical engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a public school located in the city of Cincinnati. Early-career chemical engineering graduates from University Of Cincinnati Main Campus make a median of around $92,906 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Toledo earned it the #4 place for chemical engineering. Located in the city of Toledo, University Of Toledo is a public institution. Early-career chemical engineering graduates from University Of Toledo make a median of around $96,237 per year.
A rank of #5 makes Miami University Oxford one of the highest-paying schools for chemical engineering. Miami University Oxford is a public school located in the town of Oxford. Students who complete the chemical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $97,829.
Ohio State University Main Campus earned the #6 position for chemical engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career chemical engineering graduates from Ohio State University Main Campus make a median of around $97,429 per year.
University Of Akron Main Campus earned the #7 position for chemical engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Akron, University Of Akron Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career chemical engineering graduates from University Of Akron Main Campus make a median of around $93,451 per year.
Ohio University Main Campus ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemical engineering schools. Ohio University Main Campus is a public school located in the town of Athens. Students who complete the chemical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $88,141.
Cleveland State University earned the #9 position for chemical engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Cleveland, Cleveland State University is a public institution. Chemical Engineering graduates of Cleveland State University earn a median of about $84,127 a year early in their careers.
Youngstown State University landed the #10 spot for chemical engineering salaries this year. Youngstown State University is a public school located in the city of Youngstown. After graduating, chemical engineering degree recipients from Youngstown State University typically earn about $82,846 annually.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their chemical engineering graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 10 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.