Best Chemical Engineering Programs in Texas (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in Texas
This page ranks the 8 Chemical Engineering programs in Texas by median earnings of Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. The University of Texas at Austin leads the list with median earnings of $115,423 four years after completing.
Across the 8 schools with a published figure, the median stands at $105,601, with values ranging from $115,423 to $92,591.
Public institutions account for 7 of the 8 programs, alongside 1 private nonprofit. Lamar University posts the lowest average net price on the list at $9,366.
The University of Texas at Austin ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $115,423 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
| The University of Texas at Austin reports median earnings of $115,423 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside a 131-graduate earnings cohort. | |||||
| 2 | Rice University · Houston, TX | $113,605 | $13,370 | $5,827 | 8.0% |
| Rice University, a private nonprofit university in Houston, admits 8% of applicants and shows median federal debt of $13,178 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $111,073 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station ranks 3rd on this list and posts an average net price of $21,315. | |||||
| 4 | University of Houston · Houston, TX | $110,184 | $14,276 | $10,929 | 73.9% |
| University of Houston sits at 13th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $110,184 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Lamar University · Beaumont, TX | $101,018 | $9,366 | $7,568 | 86.4% |
| Lamar University carries an average net price of $9,366 and a median federal debt of $19,500 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 6 | Texas Tech University · Lubbock, TX | $99,747 | $19,070 | $12,457 | 72.7% |
| Texas Tech University reports median earnings of $99,747 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with a 96-graduate earnings cohort. | |||||
| 7 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville · Kingsville, TX | $97,811 | $12,090 | $10,207 | 90.9% |
| An admission rate of 91% and an average net price of $12,090 accompany Texas A&M University-Kingsville's median earnings of $97,811 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Prairie View A & M University · Prairie View, TX | $92,591 | $13,570 | $12,120 | 79.3% |
| Prairie View A & M University ranks 8th on this list and carries a median federal debt of $29,606 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in Texas appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after graduating. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 8 schools with a published figure. The University of Texas at Austin leads Rice University by $1,818, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom is $22,832.
Job market context in Texas
Chemical Engineering graduates in Texas enter occupations such as Engineers, All Other and Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary. Across those occupations the median annual wage is $119,090, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $85,526. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 2,620 openings a year, or about 366 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 12.8% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the occupation-wide wage figures shown here.