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2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

32 Ranked Colleges
2,548 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

Across the Southeast region, there were 2,548 chemical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $69,096 and $23,693 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 32 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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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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 “Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Chemical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 37 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $7,694 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Vanderbilt Chemical Engineering Report

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 144 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $8,394 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UF.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 more about Chemical Engineering at University of Florida

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 241 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Tech is $15,415 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Georgia Tech Chemical Engineering Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school handed out 157 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $9,669 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, 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 92%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of South Florida - Main Campus

5
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 64 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $16,019 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Virginia.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Virginia

6
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 218 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k list, NC State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $14,424 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at NC State

7
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

Florida State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $11,506 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Florida State University

8
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #8, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 110 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $18,372 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.2% 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%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech

9

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Louisiana State University is a large public school situated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It awarded 147 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

Louisiana State University also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is $19,623 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

10
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. WVU is located in Morgantown, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.

WVU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend WVU is $13,077 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full WVU Chemical Engineering Report

11
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Clemson is a public institution located in Clemson, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Clemson also took the #8 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Clemson is $20,797 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Clemson University

12
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Mississippi State, Mississippi, this large public school handed out 104 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

Mississippi State also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Mississippi State University is $18,449 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Mississippi State Chemical Engineering Report

13
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, this large public school handed out 87 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

UK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Kentucky is $16,708 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Kentucky

14
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and it awarded 81 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

UARK also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for UARK is $16,256 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 full report on Chemical Engineering at University of Arkansas

15
NC A&T crest
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, North Carolina

North Carolina A & T State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 25 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

NC A&T also took the #24 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina A & T State University is $12,647 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at NC A&T

16
UofL crest
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky

University of Louisville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. UofL is a large public school situated in Louisville, Kentucky. It awarded 53 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

UofL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UofL is $17,380 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Louisville

17
Louisiana Tech crest
Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, Louisiana

Louisiana Tech University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Ruston, Louisiana, and it awarded 26 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Louisiana Tech is $11,505 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Louisiana Tech Chemical Engineering Report

18

University of Louisiana at Lafayette came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Lafayette, Louisiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,322 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Louisiana at Lafayette

19

With a ranking of #19, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, South Carolina. It awarded 79 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

UofSC also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for UofSC is $20,325 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 UofSC

20

West Virginia University Institute of Technology landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Beckley, West Virginia, this small public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend West Virginia University Institute of Technology is $10,775 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full West Virginia University Institute of Technology Chemical Engineering Report

21

Tennessee Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Tennessee Technological University is a public institution located in Cookeville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 65 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Tennessee Tech University also made our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Tennessee Technological University is $17,588 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at Tennessee Tech University

22
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama

With a ranking of #22, Auburn University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Auburn is a public institution located in Auburn, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 110 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Auburn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $23,468 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Auburn University.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Auburn University

23

The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, this fairly large public school awarded 42 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $15,283 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UT Chattanooga.

Read more about Chemical Engineering at UT Chattanooga

24

With a ranking of #24, University of South Alabama did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. USA is a fairly large school located in Mobile, Alabama that handed out 34 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k list, USA has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Alabama is $17,568 for Southeast Region Chem Eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at USA

25
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Chem Eng Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. The University of Alabama is a large public school situated in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It awarded 171 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UA, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Chemical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UA is $21,649 for southeast region chem eng students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Chemical Engineering at The University of Alabama

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