Chemical Engineering major
Chemical Engineering: courses, careers, and where to study
Chemical Engineering applies chemistry, physics, and math to design large-scale processes that turn raw materials into fuels, medicines, and materials, for students who like lab science and design.
Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Chemical Engineering earn a median $98,158 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $80,300 to $117,974 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college
A Chemical Engineering major is typically an ABET-accredited bachelor of science that teaches students to design, operate, and optimize the processes that convert raw materials into useful products, from petrochemicals and plastics to pharmaceuticals, foods, and semiconductors. The core sequence builds on calculus, differential equations, and chemistry, then layers on the discipline's defining courses: material and energy balances, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, reaction engineering, separation processes, and process control.
Most programs require organic and physical chemistry, several unit-operations and process-design labs, and a senior capstone in which teams design a full chemical plant or process and evaluate it on safety, economics, and environmental impact. Graduates work in process and production engineering, manufacturing, energy, biotechnology, materials, and environmental compliance, and many pursue the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam as a step toward a Professional Engineer (PE) license.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of chemical engineers to grow 2.6% from 2024 to 2034 and reports a 2024 median wage of $121,860 for the occupation.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Chemical Engineering maps to CIP 14.0701, Chemical Engineering, within the ENGINEERING family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems employing chemical processes, such as chemical reactors, kinetic systems, electrochemical systems, energy conservation processes, heat and mass transfer systems, and separation processes; and the applied analysis of chemical problems such as corrosion, particle abrasion, energy loss, pollution, and fluid mechanics.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Chemical Engineering is awarded as
Of the 10,466 Chemical Engineering credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:
- Certificate: <1%, 16 credentials.
- Associate: <1%, 36 credentials.
- Bachelor's: 71%, 7,478 credentials.
- Graduate: 28%, 2,936 credentials.
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 37 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 0 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Material and energy balances on chemical processes
- Chemical engineering thermodynamics and phase equilibria
- Fluid mechanics and heat and mass transfer (transport phenomena)
- Chemical reaction engineering and reactor design
- Separation processes (distillation, absorption, extraction, membranes)
- Process dynamics, control, and instrumentation
- Process and plant design with safety and economic analysis
- Unit-operations and process laboratory work, plus organic and physical chemistry
Typical careers
- Chemical engineers
- Process Engineer
- Production / Manufacturing Engineer
- Process Control Engineer
- Environmental / Safety Engineer
- Research and Development Engineer
Typical salary range: $70,000–$100,000 early-career (BLS, 2024 chemical engineers median $121,860)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
How much do Chemical Engineering graduates earn?
Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Chemical Engineering earn a median $98,158 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $80,300 to $117,974 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).
| Credential | National median | Middle half of programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | $98,158 | $80,300 to $117,974 |
| Master's | $115,468 | $92,260 to $139,894 |
Compare Chemical Engineering programs in your state
Highest-earning bachelor's Chemical Engineering programs
- University of California, Berkeley (CA): $121,027, median federal debt $18,155
- Cornell University (NY): $116,165, median federal debt $14,361
- The University of Texas at Austin (TX): $115,423, median federal debt $19,672
- Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LA): $114,226, median federal debt $20,500
- Rice University (TX): $113,605, median federal debt $13,178
- University of California-Santa Barbara (CA): $113,317, median federal debt $14,937
- Texas A & M University-College Station (TX): $111,073, median federal debt $18,017
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA): $110,378, median federal debt $23,125
- University of Houston (TX): $110,184, median federal debt $19,228
- University of Florida (FL): $109,607, median federal debt $19,600
Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Chemical Engineering. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major. Graduate programs over the new federal loan caps.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Chemical Engineering, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $167,740 | 14,500 | +3.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $106,120 | 4,100 | +8.1% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Chemical Engineers | $121,860 | 1,100 | +2.6% | Bachelor's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 3 of these 3 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Chemical Engineering does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Chemical Engineering major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Chemical Engineering program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Chemical Engineering department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Chemical Engineering program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Chemical Engineering credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Purdue University-Main Campus, IN · 251 credentials
- North Carolina State University at Raleigh, NC · 234 credentials
- Texas A & M University-College Station, TX · 233 credentials
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus, GA · 205 credentials
- The University of Texas at Austin, TX · 185 credentials
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus, PA · 172 credentials
- Ohio State University-Main Campus, OH · 160 credentials
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL · 149 credentials
- Columbia University in the City of New York, NY · 147 credentials
- University of California-Berkeley, CA · 146 credentials
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, MI · 139 credentials
- Colorado School of Mines, CO · 138 credentials
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Chemical Engineering credentials were awarded
5 states have a distinct enough set of Chemical Engineering colleges to be worth its own page.
Chemical Engineering by state
- Chemical Engineering in California
- Chemical Engineering in Florida
- Chemical Engineering in Georgia
- Chemical Engineering in Illinois
- Chemical Engineering in Maryland
- Chemical Engineering in Massachusetts
- Chemical Engineering in New York
- Chemical Engineering in North Carolina
- Chemical Engineering in Pennsylvania
- Chemical Engineering in Texas
Every Chemical Engineering program with its own CampusPin page
90 programs in 40 states, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.
Chemical Engineering programs in Alabama, 1 program
- The University of Alabama Bachelor's, $100,857
Chemical Engineering programs in Arizona, 2 programs
- Arizona State University Campus Immersion Bachelor's, $93,264
- University of Arizona Bachelor's, $101,815
Chemical Engineering programs in Arkansas, 1 program
- University of Arkansas Bachelor's, $93,641
Chemical Engineering programs in California, 8 programs
- California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Bachelor's, $102,849
- California State University-Long Beach Bachelor's, $92,523
- University of California-Davis Bachelor's, $102,649
- University of California-Irvine Bachelor's, $97,656
- University of California-Riverside Bachelor's, $91,457
- University of California-San Diego Bachelor's, $96,798
- University of California, Berkeley Bachelor's, $121,027
- University of California, Los Angeles Bachelor's, $108,066
Chemical Engineering programs in Colorado, 2 programs
- Colorado School of Mines Bachelor's, $94,598
- Colorado State University-Fort Collins Bachelor's, $97,271
Chemical Engineering programs in Connecticut, 1 program
- University of Connecticut Bachelor's, $87,267
Chemical Engineering programs in Delaware, 1 program
- University of Delaware Bachelor's, $103,910
Chemical Engineering programs in Florida, 3 programs
- Florida State University Bachelor's, $90,815
- University of Florida Bachelor's, $109,607
- University of South Florida Bachelor's, $94,387
Chemical Engineering programs in Georgia, 1 program
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Bachelor's, $104,104
Chemical Engineering programs in Illinois, 2 programs
- University of Illinois Chicago Bachelor's, $87,407
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Bachelor's, $104,317
Chemical Engineering programs in Indiana, 2 programs
- Purdue University-Main Campus Bachelor's, $104,514
- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Bachelor's, $98,341
Chemical Engineering programs in Iowa, 1 program
- Iowa State University Bachelor's, $92,773
Chemical Engineering programs in Kansas, 1 program
- University of Kansas Bachelor's, $93,391
Chemical Engineering programs in Kentucky, 2 programs
- University of Kentucky Bachelor's, $98,003
- University of Louisville Bachelor's, $101,068
Chemical Engineering programs in Louisiana, 2 programs
- Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Bachelor's, $114,226
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette Bachelor's, $102,119
Chemical Engineering programs in Maine, 1 program
- University of Maine Bachelor's, $94,964
Chemical Engineering programs in Maryland, 2 programs
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County Bachelor's, $91,547
- University of Maryland, College Park Bachelor's, $102,149
Chemical Engineering programs in Massachusetts, 3 programs
- University of Massachusetts Amherst Bachelor's, $97,990
- University of Massachusetts Lowell Bachelor's, $94,972
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute Bachelor's, $100,199
Chemical Engineering programs in Michigan, 3 programs
- Michigan State University Bachelor's, $102,223
- Michigan Technological University Bachelor's, $94,478
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Bachelor's, $109,405
Chemical Engineering programs in Minnesota, 2 programs
- University of Minnesota Twin Cities Bachelor's, $92,946
- University of Minnesota-Duluth Bachelor's, $85,667
Chemical Engineering programs in Mississippi, 1 program
- Mississippi State University Bachelor's, $95,968
Chemical Engineering programs in Missouri, 1 program
- Missouri University of Science and Technology Bachelor's, $94,686
Chemical Engineering programs in Montana, 1 program
- Montana State University Bachelor's, $87,590
Chemical Engineering programs in New Hampshire, 1 program
- University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Bachelor's, $93,711
Chemical Engineering programs in New Jersey, 4 programs
- New Jersey Institute of Technology Bachelor's, $97,371
- Rowan University Bachelor's, $95,769
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick Bachelor's, $100,729
- Stevens Institute of Technology Bachelor's, $98,782
Chemical Engineering programs in New York, 5 programs
- Clarkson University Bachelor's, $93,614
- Cornell University Bachelor's, $116,165
- New York University Bachelor's, $89,744
- Rochester Institute of Technology Bachelor's, $94,641
- University at Buffalo Bachelor's, $95,424
Chemical Engineering programs in North Carolina, 1 program
- North Carolina State University at Raleigh Bachelor's, $104,705
Chemical Engineering programs in North Dakota, 1 program
- University of North Dakota Bachelor's, $87,309
Chemical Engineering programs in Ohio, 7 programs
- Cleveland State University Bachelor's, $81,185
- Ohio State University-Main Campus Bachelor's, $98,851
- Ohio University-Main Campus Bachelor's, $85,990
- University of Akron Main Campus Bachelor's, $90,279
- University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Bachelor's, $97,220
- University of Dayton Bachelor's, $97,184
- University of Toledo Bachelor's, $94,065
Chemical Engineering programs in Oklahoma, 2 programs
- Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Bachelor's, $98,557
- University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Bachelor's, $94,291
Chemical Engineering programs in Oregon, 1 program
- Oregon State University Bachelor's, $92,741
Chemical Engineering programs in Pennsylvania, 6 programs
- Carnegie Mellon University Bachelor's, $110,378
- Drexel University Bachelor's, $99,338
- Lehigh University Bachelor's, $101,720
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Bachelor's, $103,728
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Bachelor's, $97,324
- Villanova University Bachelor's, $103,601
Chemical Engineering programs in South Carolina, 2 programs
- Clemson University Bachelor's, $92,098
- University of South Carolina-Columbia Bachelor's, $98,244
Chemical Engineering programs in Tennessee, 2 programs
- Tennessee Technological University Bachelor's, $91,580
- The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Bachelor's, $91,643
Chemical Engineering programs in Texas, 7 programs
- Lamar University Bachelor's, $101,018
- Prairie View A & M University Bachelor's, $92,591
- Texas A & M University-College Station Bachelor's, $111,073
- Texas A & M University-Kingsville Bachelor's, $97,811
- Texas Tech University Bachelor's, $99,747
- The University of Texas at Austin Bachelor's, $115,423
- University of Houston Bachelor's, $110,184
Chemical Engineering programs in Utah, 2 programs
- Brigham Young University Bachelor's, $101,726
- University of Utah Bachelor's, $98,215
Chemical Engineering programs in Virginia, 1 program
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Bachelor's, $106,011
Chemical Engineering programs in Washington, 2 programs
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus Bachelor's, $109,551
- Washington State University Bachelor's, $99,506
Chemical Engineering programs in West Virginia, 1 program
- West Virginia University Bachelor's, $96,503
Chemical Engineering programs in Wisconsin, 1 program
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Bachelor's, $101,676
Related majors
Engineering
Engineering majors apply math, physics, and design to build the physical and digital systems that power society, from bridges and chips to medical devices and aircraft.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering applies physics, materials, and design to machines and mechanical systems, suiting students who want to build, analyze, and test physical hardware.
Chemistry
Chemistry studies matter and its transformations, preparing graduates for pharmaceutical, materials, energy, environmental, and biotech careers, plus medical and graduate school.
Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering applies engineering to medicine and biology, designing medical devices, imaging systems, and biomaterials, for students who want to improve healthcare through technology.
Environmental Science
Environmental Science combines biology, chemistry, geology, and policy to address climate, conservation, water, and pollution challenges.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Chemical Engineering degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Management careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Engineering & Architecture careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Chemical Engineering degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Chemical Engineering path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.