2023 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania
10
Ranked Colleges
836
Degrees Awarded
$17,100
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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.
Across Pennsylvania, there were 836 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $70,372 and $26,497 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 10 colleges that offer a degree in chemical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent chemical engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the chemical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Chemical Engineering Schools
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 “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 10 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 48 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $580 for Pennsylvania Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at UPenn
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carnegie Mellon University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 126 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Carnegie Mellon also took the #1 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $16,456 for Pennsylvania Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lafayette College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Lafayette is located in Easton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Lafayette has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $11,728 for pennsylvania chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lafayette.
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 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%. 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 College Chemical Engineering Report
Out of the 10 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lehigh University landed the #4 spot on the list. Lehigh University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k list, Lehigh has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lehigh University is $15,561 for Pennsylvania Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Lehigh
Out of the 10 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this large public school handed out 124 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
Pitt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $15,084 for Pennsylvania Chem Eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus
Villanova University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 65 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
Villanova not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Villanova is $24,907 for pennsylvania chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 more about Chemical Engineering at Villanova
Bucknell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Bucknell is a small school located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 35 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bucknell, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bucknell is $22,722 for pennsylvania chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Bucknell Chemical Engineering Report
University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown is a public institution located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Pitt Johnstown also took the #10 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pitt Johnstown is $10,570 for pennsylvania chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown
Drexel University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 121 students in 2020-2021.
Drexel did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $24,508 for pennsylvania chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Drexel.
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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Drexel Chemical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #10, Widener University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Widener is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chester, Pennsylvania. It awarded 22 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Widener not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Widener is $29,378 for pennsylvania chem eng students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Widener Chemical Engineering Report
