2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 13,610 people earned their degree in chemical engineering, making the major the 66th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, chemical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $62,963 and had an average of $22,564 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 1,575 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,736 and $18,366 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,197 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 18 colleges that offered a degree in chemical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great chemical engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the chemical engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.
Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $5,456 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $-1,387 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Stanford University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 93 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.
UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $7,850 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 93%.
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 112 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 96%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 74 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $8,553 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 University of California - Los Angeles
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Irvine Chemical Engineering Report
University of California - Riverside landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 69 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.
California State University - Long Beach came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.
CSULB also took the #16 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $6,364 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
University of California - Davis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 130 students in 2019-2020.
UC Davis also took the #7 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $9,842 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 low 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%.
Washington State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Washington State University is a public institution located in Pullman, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wazzu has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington State University is $9,334 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at Washington State University
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 54 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chem eng students in 2019-2020.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $10,316 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of California - San Diego ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 105 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,280 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #13, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $8,596 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 more about Chemical Engineering at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
With a ranking of #14, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 41 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $14,668 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a 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 University of Southern California
San Jose State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $10,940 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national 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 more about Chemical Engineering at San Jose State University
Oregon State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Oregon State University is a large school located in Corvallis, Oregon that handed out 118 bachelors’s chem eng degrees in 2019-2020.
Oregon State also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Oregon State University is $14,157 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, 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 85%.
With a ranking of #17, University of Nevada - Reno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Reno, Nevada is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chem eng degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.
UNR also took the #18 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Reno is $11,587 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
California Baptist University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chem Eng Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Baptist is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
Cal Baptist did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $20,277 for far western us region bachelor’s degree chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Baptist.
The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 California Baptist University
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Notes and References
References
- 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.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Mikulova.
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