Chemical Engineering graduates from Michigan State University earn $102,223 median salary — above the national average for this program. Median debt: $25,314.
Chemical Engineering at Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan • Bachelor's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Chemical Engineering at Michigan State University
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Michigan State University and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Chemical Engineering at the bachelor's credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program — not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 102 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Michigan State University, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $102,223 represent Treasury-verified wages approximately one year after program completion, drawn from Social Security Administration records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Compared to the national mean of $96,104 across all institutions offering Chemical Engineering, graduates here earn above the national average for this program. Across all programs at Michigan State University, the mean median-earnings figure is $72,735, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for Chemical Engineering graduates at Michigan State University is $25,314, which translates to roughly $211 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.25 is under the 1.0 threshold the College Scorecard uses to flag favorable gainful-employment outcomes — earnings in year one already exceed cumulative borrowing. Program-level debt and earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard FOS release, updated annually.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Chemical Engineering at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $122,093 | $17,000 |
| Vanderbilt University | $121,641 | — |
| University of California-Berkeley | $121,027 | $18,155 |
| Cornell University | $116,165 | $14,361 |
| Lafayette College | $115,726 | $17,000 |
| The University of Texas at Austin | $115,423 | $19,672 |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | $114,226 | $20,500 |
| University of Notre Dame | $113,614 | $16,750 |
| Rice University | $113,605 | $13,178 |
| University of California-Santa Barbara | $113,317 | $14,937 |
Other Programs at Michigan State University
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General | $188,085 | $78,686 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $142,927 | $51,250 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $139,589 | $30,375 |
| Medicine | $130,503 | $251,502 |
| Veterinary Medicine | $127,621 | $177,857 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | $127,481 | $41,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $123,621 | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $118,130 | $48,355 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $116,905 | $22,500 |
| Chemistry | $113,129 | — |
Other Schools with Chemical Engineering
Quick picks offering the same program — compare side by side
About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.