Chemical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY · Bachelor's Degree · about 61 graduates a year
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates in chemical engineering earn 1% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 25% of one year’s pay at that point.
How Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Compares for Chemical Engineering
All 158 colleges reporting chemical engineering earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.
| # | College | 4 yrs after | Wage-adjusted | Adj. rank | 1 yr after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | $122,093 | $107,516 | #38 | $80,139 |
| 2 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | $121,641 | $132,880 | #1 | $75,639 |
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | $121,027 | $110,127 | #32 | $81,553 |
| 4 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY | $116,165 | $110,565 | #30 | $85,578 |
| 5 | Lafayette College Easton, PA | $115,726 | $117,694 | #7 | $79,602 |
| 6 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX | $115,423 | $117,351 | #9 | $87,365 |
| 7 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA | $114,226 | $132,225 | #2 | $74,786 |
| 8 | University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN | $113,614 | $121,887 | #4 | $83,377 |
| 9 | Rice University Houston, TX | $113,605 | $115,503 | #13 | $87,830 |
| 10 | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | $113,317 | $103,111 | #54 | $79,737 |
| … | |||||
| 58 | Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL | $99,312 | $105,705 | #42 | $53,145 |
| 59 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH | $98,851 | $105,489 | #45 | $77,455 |
| 60 | Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ | $98,782 | $86,699 | #132 | $79,339 |
| 61 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY | $98,679 | $93,922 | #99 | $78,263 |
| 62 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Stillwater, OK | $98,557 | $110,656 | #29 | $82,466 |
| 63 | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Terre Haute, IN | $98,341 | $105,502 | #43 | $82,394 |
| 64 | University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC | $98,244 | $108,937 | #35 | $75,680 |
Other Majors at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by Graduate Pay
| Major | 4 yrs after | 1 yr after | Rank in major |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $141,528 | $104,943 | #42 of 349 |
| Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians | $125,531 | $94,722 | #1 of 27 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $115,100 | $85,172 | #65 of 459 |
| Mathematics | $105,768 | $80,196 | #20 of 309 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $104,596 | $83,412 | #66 of 258 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $103,306 | $74,427 | #18 of 118 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $99,713 | $47,925 | #30 of 1176 |
| Industrial Engineering | $98,509 | $74,787 | #45 of 94 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $94,750 | $73,213 | #35 of 59 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $92,952 | $73,833 | #132 of 318 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $87,358 | $36,191 | #6 of 299 |
| Nuclear Engineering | $87,239 | $77,014 | #12 of 12 |
| Civil Engineering | $86,794 | $71,790 | #99 of 233 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | $83,958 | — | #10 of 207 |
| Materials Engineering | $82,947 | $66,927 | #32 of 34 |
| Physics | $81,840 | $60,348 | #43 of 107 |
| Architecture | $75,551 | $54,334 | #11 of 78 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute chemical engineering graduates make?
Graduates earn a median $78,263 one year after graduating and $98,679 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
How does Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute rank for chemical engineering?
Among 158 colleges reporting earnings for chemical engineering graduates, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranks #61 by median pay four years after graduation, and #99 after adjusting for state wage levels.
Is chemical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute worth it?
Its graduates earn 1% more than the national median for chemical engineering ($98,158), and the median federal debt at graduation is $24,985.
← All data for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Methodology
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.