by our College Data Analytics Team
[Chemical Engineering](/majors/engineering/chemical-engineering/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The schools below stand out for the salaries their chemical engineering graduates go on to command.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find where chemical engineering graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send chemical engineering graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
University Of California Berkeley tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemical engineering schools in the United States. Located in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a public institution. Students who complete the chemical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $122,239.
A rank of #2 makes Arizona State University one of the highest-paying schools for chemical engineering. Located in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a public institution. Chemical Engineering graduates of Arizona State University earn a median of about $120,590 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at North Carolina State University At Raleigh earned it the #3 place for chemical engineering. Set in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a public institution. Chemical Engineering graduates of North Carolina State University At Raleigh earn a median of about $114,524 a year early in their careers.
Cornell University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemical engineering schools. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca. Early-career chemical engineering graduates from Cornell University make a median of around $114,309 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Houston earned it the #5 place for chemical engineering. Located in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a public institution. Students who complete the chemical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $105,244.
Columbia University In The City Of New York earned the #6 position for chemical engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Chemical Engineering graduates of Columbia University In The City Of New York earn a median of about $95,951 a year early in their careers.
Manhattan College earned the #7 position for chemical engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Riverdale, Manhattan College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the chemical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $92,741.
New Jersey Institute Of Technology landed the #8 spot for chemical engineering salaries this year. Set in the city of Newark, New Jersey Institute Of Technology is a public institution. After graduating, chemical engineering degree recipients from New Jersey Institute Of Technology typically earn about $92,412 annually.
Drexel University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemical engineering schools. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, chemical engineering degree recipients from Drexel University typically earn about $102,064 annually.
Rutgers University New Brunswick landed the #10 spot for chemical engineering salaries this year. Set in the city of New Brunswick, Rutgers University New Brunswick is a public institution. Students who complete the chemical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $90,181.
Northeastern University landed the #11 spot for chemical engineering salaries this year. Located in the city of Boston, Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Chemical Engineering graduates of Northeastern University earn a median of about $89,093 a year early in their careers.
University At Buffalo came in at #12 for chemical engineering graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Buffalo, University At Buffalo is a public institution. Chemical Engineering graduates of University At Buffalo earn a median of about $67,692 a year early in their careers.
Explore the highest-paying chemical engineering schools at other degree levels:
This list is compiled 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 · 12 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.