Chemical Engineering graduates from Vanderbilt University earn $121,641 median salary, above the national average for this program.
Chemical Engineering at Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee • Bachelor's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Chemical Engineering at Vanderbilt University
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Vanderbilt 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 26 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Vanderbilt University, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $121,641 represent Treasury-derived wages, deferred compensation, and positive self-employment earnings four years after program completion for federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. Compared to the national mean of $97,277 across all institutions offering Chemical Engineering, graduates here earn above the national average for this program. Across all programs at Vanderbilt University, the mean median-earnings figure is $110,738, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. Median federal debt is not separately reported for this program at this school. Program-level debt and four-year post-completion earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard field-of-study snapshot retrieved in March 2026.
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 (this school) | $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 Vanderbilt University
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics | $216,406 | $61,500 |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | $199,064 | - |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $198,584 | $76,096 |
| Law | $196,797 | $139,857 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $190,365 | $90,787 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $178,361 | $78,044 |
| Public Health | $166,705 | $53,550 |
| Computer Science | $160,021 | $14,500 |
| Mathematics | $141,171 | $9,644 |
| Marketing | $140,404 | $60,500 |
Other Schools with Chemical Engineering
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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.
PlainCollege's Scorecard snapshots, retrieved March–July 2026, contain 6,243 postsecondary institutions and 70,827 school-and-program earnings records.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.