2026 Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools in Virginia
[Chemical Engineering](/majors/engineering/chemical-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for chemical engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools in Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the chemical engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools
Leading the list is Virginia Commonwealth University, our #1 best value for chemical engineering in Virginia. Located in the city of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,720, compared with $39,884 for out-of-state students. Chemical Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, chemical engineering degree recipients from Virginia Commonwealth University generally make around $79,721. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Virginia Main Campus one of the best values for chemical engineering. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $23,118 in tuition and fees, compared with $61,591 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for chemical engineering graduates is $17,733. Chemical Engineering graduates of University Of Virginia Main Campus earn a median of $85,772 early in their careers. Set against $17,733 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Virginia Main Campus admits about 17% of applicants.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in chemical engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. In-state tuition and fees average $15,948, compared with $37,764 for out-of-state students. Chemical Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,350 in student loans. Chemical Engineering graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earn a median of $82,382 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 55%.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
