2023 Most Popular Colleges for Chemical Engineering
208
Ranked Colleges
12,917
Degrees Awarded
$34,800
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.
For this year’s “Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major” ranking, we looked at 208 colleges that offer a degree in chemical engineering. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in chemical engineering.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Chemical Engineering Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major” 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.
Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major
The colleges and universities below are the best for chem eng students.
Top 25 Most Popular Colleges for Chemical Engineering
Out of the 208 schools in the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #1 spot on the list. Texas A&M College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 276 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national 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 full report on Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University - College Station
Out of the 208 schools in the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 241 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
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 97%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Georgia Tech
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 237 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Purdue University - Main Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Carolina State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major list. North Carolina State University is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 218 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 NC State
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 203 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at UT Austin
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 200 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Ohio State
Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school awarded 192 diplomas to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at ASU - Tempe
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking, coming in at #8. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 181 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 undergraduate students.
Full UIUC Chemical Engineering Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 177 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at U-M
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 175 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at University of California - Berkeley
With a ranking of #11, Northeastern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 172 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Northeastern University
With a ranking of #12, The University of Alabama did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major list. The University of Alabama is a public institution located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 171 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at The University of Alabama
University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking, coming in at #13. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 157 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of South Florida - Main Campus
Colorado School of Mines did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking, coming in at #14. Golden, Colorado is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 154 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Colorado School of Mines Chemical Engineering Report
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking. Louisiana State University is a large school located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that handed out 147 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Chemical Engineering Report
University of Florida landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 144 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Florida
Oregon State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking. Oregon State University is a large school located in Corvallis, Oregon that handed out 140 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
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 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Oregon State University Chemical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #18, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major list. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 137 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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
With a ranking of #19, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major list. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school awarded 136 degrees to qualified ’s chem eng students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Iowa State Chemical Engineering Report
Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking, coming in at #19. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 136 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Johns Hopkins
Cornell University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking. Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 131 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
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%. 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.
Full Cornell Chemical Engineering Report
With a ranking of #22, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 130 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at UCSD
Carnegie Mellon University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chem eng degrees to 126 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking. Pitt is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 124 ’s chem eng degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Chemical Engineering Report
University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chem Eng Major ranking, coming in at #25. UPR Mayaguez is a fairly large public school situated in Mayaguez, . It awarded 122 ’s chem eng degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Chemical Engineering at University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
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