2023 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $30-$48k)
154
Ranked Colleges
12,917
Degrees Awarded
$5,600
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
This year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 154 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.
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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $30-$48k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 84 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
MIT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $-2,603 for Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, 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 98%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 65 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,581 for Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at Stanford
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Princeton University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 52 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k list, Princeton has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Princeton is $4,502 for Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at Princeton University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 48 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $917 for Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at Northwestern University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 177 students in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $5,670 for chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at U-M
Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 114 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $4,699 for chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Columbia Chemical Engineering Report
University of Pennsylvania ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 48 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $1,938 for Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at UPenn
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 237 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
Purdue also took the #12 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,853 for chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
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 more about Chemical Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus
Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 85 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
WUSTL also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $2,446 for Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St Louis
Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 131 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell also took the #4 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $5,133 for chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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.
Full Cornell Chemical Engineering Report
University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 144 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $2,857 for Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Florida.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.
Full UF Chemical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #12, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $4,652 for chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.
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. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Vanderbilt Chemical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #13, Rice University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 46 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Rice also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $1,340 for chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 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.
Full Rice University Chemical Engineering Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 121 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also took the #16 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,788 for chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at UW - Madison
With a ranking of #15, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 136 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,859 for Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.
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 1.3% 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at Johns Hopkins
University of California - Berkeley ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 175 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $9,999 for Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UC Berkeley Chemical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #17, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 118 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UW Seattle also did well on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $6,399 for chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle 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 2.1% 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%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
With a ranking of #18, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 181 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,036 for Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 94%.
Full UIUC Chemical Engineering Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 137 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMN Twin Cities is also in the top of our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $8,609 for chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.
The undergrad 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at UMN Twin Cities
Tufts University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,987 for chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tufts.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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.
Full Tufts Chemical Engineering Report
Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 241 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Georgia Tech also took the #9 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $11,712 for Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at Georgia Tech
University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 157 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,632 for chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USF Tampa.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, 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 South Florida - Main Campus
With a ranking of #23, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. North Carolina State University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 218 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
NC State also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $9,448 for chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NC State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, 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.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at NC State
With a ranking of #24, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 119 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also claimed a top spot on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for chem eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Chemical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #25, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Carnegie Mellon University is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 126 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
Carnegie Mellon also took the #3 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon is $13,608 for Chem Eng students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Full Carnegie Mellon Chemical Engineering Report
