College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering

181 Ranked Colleges
10,172 Degrees Awarded
$65,011 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major” ranking.

Chemical Engineering is the 70th most popular major in the country with 12,917 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, chemical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $65,870 and had an average of $23,285 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 10,172 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major” ranking, we looked at 181 colleges that offer a degree in chemical engineering. That schools that top this list have a program in chemical engineering in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Chem Eng Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The chem eng school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering

1

Out of the 181 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art landed the #1 spot on the list. Cooper Union is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cooper Union Chemical Engineering Report

2
Mines crest
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colorado School of Mines. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major. Colorado School of Mines is a medium-sized public school situated in Golden, Colorado. It awarded 144 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Colorado School of Mines Chemical Engineering Report

3

Out of the 181 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology landed the #3 spot on the list. Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a small school located in Terre Haute, Indiana that handed out 35 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a public institution located in Rapid City, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at SD Mines

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major. UPR Mayaguez is a fairly large public school situated in Mayaguez, . It awarded 115 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

6

Michigan Technological University ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized school located in Houghton, Michigan that handed out 103 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Michigan Tech

7

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking, coming in at #7. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is located in Socorro, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at New Mexico Tech

8
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #8, Lafayette College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Lafayette is located in Easton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Lafayette Chemical Engineering Report

9

West Virginia University Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking, coming in at #9. This small school is located in Beckley, West Virginia, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Full West Virginia University Institute of Technology Chemical Engineering Report

10

Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking. Hato Rey, is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico

11

Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking. Located in Rolla, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 103 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology

12
Tuskegee crest
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, Alabama

With a ranking of #12, Tuskegee University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Tuskegee University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tuskegee, Alabama. It awarded 28 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Tuskegee University

13
Pitt Johnstown crest
University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown
Johnstown, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, this small public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Pitt Johnstown

14
Trine crest
Trine University
Angola, Indiana

Trine University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking. This small school is located in Angola, Indiana, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Trine

15
Kettering crest
Kettering University
Flint, Michigan

Kettering University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Kettering is located in Flint, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Kettering

16
WPI crest
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester Polytechnic Institute landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking. Worcester, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full WPI Chemical Engineering Report

17
Clarkson crest
Clarkson University
Potsdam, New York

Clarkson University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking. Potsdam, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Clarkson University Chemical Engineering Report

18

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a medium-sized school located in Troy, New York that handed out 74 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

19
PVAMU crest
Prairie View A & M University
Prairie View, Texas

Prairie View A & M University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Prairie View A & M University is located in Prairie View, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

Full Prairie View A & M University Chemical Engineering Report

20
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Bucknell University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Bucknell is a small school located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 31 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Bucknell University Chemical Engineering Report

21
MSOE crest
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee School of Engineering did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking, coming in at #21. MSOE is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 18 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering

22

New Jersey Institute of Technology landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Newark, New Jersey, and it awarded 80 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at NJIT

23

Tennessee Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking, coming in at #23. Tennessee Technological University is located in Cookeville, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Tennessee Technological University Chemical Engineering Report

24
MSU Bozeman crest
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana

Montana State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking. MSU Bozeman is a fairly large public school situated in Bozeman, Montana. It awarded 86 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Montana State University Chemical Engineering Report

25
University of Tulsa crest
University of Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma

University of Tulsa ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Tulsa, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Tulsa Chemical Engineering Report

Rest of the Best 28 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Manhattan crest
Manhattan College
Riverdale, New York
27
28
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Switch to a Similar Major

General Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Engineering

Agricultural Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Agricultural Engineering

Biomedical Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Biomedical Engineering

Civil Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering

Electrical Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering

Engineering Physics
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Physics

Environmental Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Environmental Engineering

Mechanical Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering

Mining Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Mining Engineering

Nuclear Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering

Petroleum Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Petroleum Engineering

Textile Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Textile Engineering

Construction Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Construction Engineering

Industrial Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Industrial Engineering

Operations Research
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Operations Research

Geoscience Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geoscience Engineering

Electromechanical Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Electromechanical Engineering

Biochemical Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Biochemical Engineering

Biological Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Biological Engineering

Energy Systems Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Energy Systems Engineering

Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering

Architectural Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Architectural Engineering

Ceramic Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ceramic Engineering

Computer Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Computer Engineering

Engineering Mechanics
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Mechanics

Engineering Science
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Science

Materials Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering

Metallurgical Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Metallurgical Engineering

Marine Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Marine Engineering

Ocean Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ocean Engineering

Systems Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Systems Engineering

Polymer & Plastics Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Polymer & Plastics Engineering

Forest Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Forest Engineering

Manufacturing Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Manufacturing Engineering

Surveying Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Surveying Engineering

Paper Science & Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Paper Science & Engineering

Robotics Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Robotics Engineering

Engineering Chemistry
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Chemistry

Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Other Engineering
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Engineering

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options