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 highest-paying schools turn a chemical engineering degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 12 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying chemical engineering schools.
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.
Cornell University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid chemical engineering graduates in New York. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca. Students who complete the chemical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $118,510.
Strong graduate earnings at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earned it the #2 place for chemical engineering. Located in the city of Troy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, chemical engineering degree recipients from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute typically earn about $107,062 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in chemical engineering will find them at University Of Rochester, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Rochester, University Of Rochester is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the chemical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $105,189.
Strong graduate earnings at Rochester Institute Of Technology earned it the #4 place for chemical engineering. Located in the suburb of Rochester, Rochester Institute Of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the chemical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $100,264.
Students chasing top earnings in chemical engineering will find them at Stony Brook University, which ranked #5. Stony Brook University is a public school located in the suburb of Stony Brook. Chemical Engineering graduates of Stony Brook University earn a median of about $100,426 a year early in their careers.
Clarkson University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemical engineering schools. Clarkson University is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Potsdam. Students who complete the chemical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $95,129.
Manhattan College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemical engineering schools. Located in the city of Riverdale, Manhattan College is a private not-for-profit institution. Chemical Engineering graduates of Manhattan College earn a median of about $96,650 a year early in their careers.
Columbia University In The City Of New York ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemical engineering schools. Set in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the chemical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $120,085.
New York University landed the #9 spot for chemical engineering salaries this year. New York University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Early-career chemical engineering graduates from New York University make a median of around $104,085 per year.
University At Buffalo landed the #10 spot for chemical engineering salaries this year. University At Buffalo is a public school located in the suburb of Buffalo. Chemical Engineering graduates of University At Buffalo earn a median of about $88,444 a year early in their careers.
Syracuse University earned the #11 position for chemical engineering graduate earnings this year. Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Syracuse. Students who complete the chemical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $72,864.
Cuny City College ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemical engineering schools. Located in the city of New York, Cuny City College is a public institution. Early-career chemical engineering graduates from Cuny City College make a median of around $68,626 per year.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries chemical engineering graduates go on to earn early in their careers, 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.