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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Chemical Engineering bachelor's degree at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA · Private nonprofit

What this page covers

Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to similar programs.

$2,041 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
26.9% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff
$92,998 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff
+57% · Positive payoff
Available price data
College-wide context only
PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$100,199 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not the exact price of this program category. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

+28%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$78,767 → $100,777
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
42Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
91Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
96Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

160Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
34Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
40Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
136Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
94Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$34,808Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$100,199$65,391 above the preliminary benchmark

Additional borrowing reported for this category: 15 Parent PLUS borrowers.

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$43,071

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWING$27,000

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$100,199

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$286/mo

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

Enter my price →
AVERAGE NET PRICE$43,071Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$78,679Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE60.2%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE89.7%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$78,767Year 1
$100,199Year 4
$100,777Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

3.4% of gross monthly earnings

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$8,350
Estimated loan payment$286
96borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$100,199 vs. $98,158

$2,041 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Architectural and Engineering Managers$201,430 median wageMA estimate · 7,690 jobs · 11-9041$166,430–$226,680 middle 50% of MA wages+5.5% projected U.S. growth · 14,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEngineering Teachers, Postsecondary$134,850 median wageMA estimate · 2,610 jobs · 25-1032$100,880–$177,760 middle 50% of MA wages+7.8% projected U.S. growth · 3,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeChemical Engineers$118,000 median wageMA estimate · 1,460 jobs · 17-2041$85,170–$133,050 middle 50% of MA wages+4.7% projected U.S. growth · 1,100 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEngineers, All Other$131,260 median wageMA estimate · 2,850 jobs · 17-2199$103,010–$162,470 middle 50% of MA wages+3.7% projected U.S. growth · 8,800 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeBioengineers and Biomedical Engineers$127,570 median wageMA estimate · 4,740 jobs · 17-2031$100,240–$150,220 middle 50% of MA wages+7.6% projected U.S. growth · 1,200 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degree
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Cambridge, MA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

$21,894 higher earnings · $11,791 less debt · $22,960 lower annual net price

Earnings
$122,093
Debt
$15,209
Annual net price
$20,111
View outcomes →
Boston, MA

Northeastern University

$7,568 higher earnings · $12,156 lower annual net price

Earnings
$107,767
Debt
$27,000
Annual net price
$30,915
View outcomes →
Amherst, MA

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

$20,688 lower annual net price

Earnings
$97,990
Debt
$27,000
Annual net price
$22,383
View outcomes →
Lowell, MA

University of Massachusetts-Lowell

$25,908 lower annual net price

Earnings
$94,972
Debt
$27,000
Annual net price
$17,163
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

91 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

Calculate my payoff →