---

2026 Highest Paid Chemical Engineering Grads in Virginia

[Chemical Engineering](/majors/engineering/chemical-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.

College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying chemical engineering schools.

What’s on this page:

• Highest Paid Chemical Engineering Grads in Virginia

2026 Highest Paid Chemical Engineering Grads in Virginia

Below are the schools whose chemical engineering graduates go on to earn the most.

Highest Paid Chemical Engineering Graduates

1

University Of Virginia Main Campus
Charlottesville, VA

$115,895 Average Early-Career Salary

For graduate earnings in chemical engineering, no school beat University Of Virginia Main Campus this year. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University Of Virginia Main Campus is a public institution. Chemical Engineering graduates of University Of Virginia Main Campus earn a median of about $115,895 a year early in their careers.

2

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University
Blacksburg, VA

$99,194 Average Early-Career Salary

A rank of #2 makes Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University one of the highest-paying schools for chemical engineering. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a public school located in the city of Blacksburg. Early-career chemical engineering graduates from Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University make a median of around $99,194 per year.

3

Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA

$91,990 Average Early-Career Salary

Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemical engineering schools. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public school located in the city of Richmond. Students who complete the chemical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $91,990.

View All Chemical Engineering Rankings >

Notes and References

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 · 3 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.

• 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.
• Graduate earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard) field-of-study earnings.

More about our data sources and methodologies.