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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering

142 Ranked Colleges
1,558 Degrees Awarded
$75,252 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 12,917 people earned their degree in chemical engineering, making the major the 70th most popular in the United States. 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,558 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major” ranking looked at 142 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in chemical engineering. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in chemical engineering.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major” list to help you make the college decision.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree chem eng students.

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

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major. Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 8 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Cooper Union

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 36 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Illinois Tech

3

Out of the 142 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Rapid City, South Dakota, this small public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified masters’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

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 more about Chemical Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

4
Manhattan crest
Manhattan College
Riverdale, New York

Out of the 142 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Manhattan College landed the #4 spot on the list. Riverdale, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s chem eng degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Manhattan College

5
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Out of the 142 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Carnegie Mellon University landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 57 masters’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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Carnegie Mellon University Chemical Engineering Report

6
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 masters’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Princeton University

7

New Jersey Institute of Technology ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Located in Newark, New Jersey, this fairly large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified masters’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, 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 89%.

Full NJIT Chemical Engineering Report

8
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #8, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 44 degrees to qualified masters’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at WUSTL

9

California Institute of Technology ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s chem eng degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California Institute of Technology Chemical Engineering Report

10
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #10, Lehigh University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s chem eng degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Lehigh University

11
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Cornell University Chemical Engineering Report

12
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking. MIT is a fairly large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 20 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at MIT

13
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #13, Northeastern University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Northeastern is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 42 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Northeastern Chemical Engineering Report

14

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking. Troy, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s chem eng degrees to 11 students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full RPI Chemical Engineering Report

15
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 50 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 full report on Chemical Engineering at North Carolina State University

16
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #16, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s chem eng degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Purdue

17

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 masters’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Columbia

18
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking, coming in at #18. Rice is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 11 masters’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Rice Chemical Engineering Report

19

Michigan Technological University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Houghton, Michigan, and it awarded 8 masters’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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Michigan Tech

20
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

With a ranking of #20, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified masters’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Johns Hopkins University Chemical Engineering Report

21
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

University at Buffalo landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking. Buffalo, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s chem eng degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University at Buffalo

22
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #22, Bucknell University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified masters’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Bucknell

23
Mines crest
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

Colorado School of Mines did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major ranking, coming in at #23. Golden, Colorado is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s chem eng degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Colorado School of Mines Chemical Engineering Report

24

With a ranking of #24, Stevens Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Stevens is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hoboken, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Stevens Institute of Technology

25
WPI crest
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #25, Worcester Polytechnic Institute did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chem Eng Major list. Worcester, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s chem eng degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Worcester Polytechnic Institute Chemical Engineering Report

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