Best Chemical Engineering Programs in the Midwest (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in the Midwest
Regional list from Chemical Engineering Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 39 Chemical Engineering programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. University of Notre Dame leads the list with median earnings of $113,614 for its graduates four years after completing.
The figures range from $113,614 to $81,185, with a median of $94,478 across the listed programs.
Public institutions account for 29 of the 39 programs, or 74%. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
University of Illinois Chicago posts the lowest average net price on the list, at $10,974.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN | $113,614 | $26,780 | $7,244 | 11.3% |
| University of Notre Dame reports $113,614 in median earnings of Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $7,244 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 2 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | $111,040 | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
| Northwestern University admits 8% of applicants and its Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed left with a median of $16,500 in federal loans. | |||||
| 3 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $109,405 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts median earnings of $109,405 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Washington University in St Louis · St. Louis, MO | $107,843 | $21,786 | $1,716 | 12.1% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Washington University in St Louis left with a median of $17,500 in federal loans, and the school reports an average net price of $21,786. | |||||
| 5 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $104,514 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
| Purdue University-Main Campus ranks 5th on this list with a cohort of 164 graduates in the earnings cohort and an admission rate of 50%. | |||||
| 6 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $104,317 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reports $104,317 in median earnings of Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $2,038 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 7 | Kettering University · Flint, MI | $103,868 | $34,660 | $24,910 | 78.7% |
| Kettering University, a private nonprofit university in Flint, shows median federal debt of $29,000 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed and an admission rate of 79%. | |||||
| 8 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $102,223 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
| Michigan State University posts median earnings of $102,223 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing and ranks 69th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 9 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $101,676 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison admits 45% of applicants and reports an average net price of $17,354. | |||||
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point · Stevens Point, WI | $100,375 | $14,559 | $8,833 | 91.8% |
| With median earnings of $100,375 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point ranks 10th on this list. | |||||
| 11 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $98,851 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus reports a cohort of 186 graduates in the earnings cohort and median federal debt of $20,780 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 12 | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · Terre Haute, IN | $98,341 | $42,513 | $36,843 | 76.9% |
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology shows an average net price of $36,843 for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $98,341 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA | $97,329 | $22,531 | $15,316 | 83.6% |
| University of Iowa ranks 13th on this list, with median earnings of $97,329 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · Cincinnati, OH | $97,220 | $25,648 | $17,974 | 85.3% |
| At University of Cincinnati-Main Campus, median federal debt of $21,083 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed coincides with median earnings of $97,220 four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | University of Dayton · Dayton, OH | $97,184 | $29,533 | $21,736 | 65.5% |
| A private nonprofit university in Dayton, University of Dayton admits 65% of applicants and reports median earnings of $97,184 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Case Western Reserve University · Cleveland, OH | $96,533 | $41,190 | $19,025 | 36.5% |
| Case Western Reserve University's Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed left with a median of $23,250 in federal loans, while the program's median earnings four years after completing reached $96,533. | |||||
| 17 | Miami University-Oxford · Oxford, OH | $96,025 | $28,384 | $16,015 | 75.4% |
| With an admission rate of 75%, Miami University-Oxford reports median earnings of $96,025 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $95,989 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
| University of Missouri-Columbia sits 18th on this page and shows an average net price of $20,268 alongside median earnings of $95,989 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | Missouri University of Science and Technology · Rolla, MO | $94,686 | $16,298 | $10,912 | 72.6% |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology ranks 136th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Chemical Engineering graduates earn a median of $94,686 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Michigan Technological University · Houghton, MI | $94,478 | $14,182 | $2,045 | 92.4% |
| Michigan Technological University reports an average net price of $2,045 for families earning under $30,000, and its Chemical Engineering graduates earn a median of $94,478 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | University of Toledo · Toledo, OH | $94,065 | $17,249 | $13,524 | 92.0% |
| University of Toledo's Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed left with a median of $25,750 in federal loans, while the program's median earnings four years after completing reached $94,065. | |||||
| 22 | University of Kansas · Lawrence, KS | $93,391 | $18,059 | $12,544 | 93.5% |
| An admission rate of 93% at University of Kansas coincides with median earnings of $93,391 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Wayne State University · Detroit, MI | $93,047 | $12,766 | $11,090 | 81.2% |
| Wayne State University ranks 80th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Chemical Engineering graduates earn a median of $93,047 four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $92,946 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities reports an average net price of $6,642 for families earning under $30,000, and its Chemical Engineering graduates earn a median of $92,946 four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $92,773 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
| Iowa State University reports median earnings of $92,773 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 123. | |||||
| 26 | Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS | $92,068 | $19,406 | $13,178 | 81.7% |
| Kansas State University admits 82% of applicants and its Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed left with a median federal debt of $24,000. | |||||
| 27 | Western Michigan University · Kalamazoo, MI | $91,777 | $15,273 | $5,263 | 84.6% |
| Western Michigan University, a public university in Kalamazoo, has an average net price of $15,273 and ranks 353rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 28 | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · Rapid City, SD | $90,845 | $20,183 | $15,348 | 79.9% |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology ranks 28th on this list, with median earnings of $90,845 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 29 | University of Akron Main Campus · Akron, OH | $90,279 | $13,946 | $10,413 | 59.7% |
| University of Akron Main Campus shows an average net price of $10,413 for families earning under $30,000, and its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing earned a median of $90,279. | |||||
| 30 | Youngstown State University · Youngstown, OH | $89,150 | $12,767 | $9,328 | 84.5% |
| Youngstown State University reports a median federal debt of $25,375 among its Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside an admission rate of 84%. | |||||
| 31 | Trine University · Angola, IN | $88,192 | $25,355 | $19,661 | 85.5% |
| Trine University, a private nonprofit institution, posts median earnings of $88,192 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing and ranks 1110th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 32 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE | $88,067 | $17,747 | $12,751 | 87.5% |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln admits 87% of applicants and its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing earned a median of $88,067. | |||||
| 33 | University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL | $87,407 | $10,974 | $7,529 | 77.4% |
| With an average net price of $10,974, University of Illinois Chicago is the lowest on the page, and its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing earned a median of $87,407. | |||||
| 34 | University of North Dakota · Grand Forks, ND | $87,309 | $18,551 | $13,126 | 76.9% |
| University of North Dakota reports median earnings of $87,309 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 34. | |||||
| 35 | Ohio University-Main Campus · Athens, OH | $85,990 | $21,637 | $15,673 | 85.0% |
| Ohio University-Main Campus shows a median federal debt of $22,732 among its Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed, and an average net price of $15,673 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 36 | University of Minnesota-Duluth · Duluth, MN | $85,667 | $18,743 | $7,256 | 88.8% |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth admits 89% of applicants and ranks 543rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 37 | Illinois Institute of Technology · Chicago, IL | $84,876 | $18,425 | $12,964 | 54.9% |
| Illinois Institute of Technology reports median earnings of $84,876 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $25,375 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 38 | Milwaukee School of Engineering · Milwaukee, WI | $81,935 | $22,453 | $11,607 | 58.9% |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering admits 59% of applicants, and its Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed left with a median of $27,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 39 | Cleveland State University · Cleveland, OH | $81,185 | $14,764 | $11,958 | 91.3% |
| Cleveland State University, a public university in Cleveland, ranks 39th on this list and posts an average net price of $14,764. | |||||
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 the Midwest appear. The figure is the median earnings of federally aided Chemical Engineering completers who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. University of Notre Dame leads the list at $113,614, and the gap to second-ranked Northwestern University is $2,574.
Job market context in the Midwest
Chemical Engineering graduates in the Midwest enter occupations such as Engineers, All Other and Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary. The median annual wage across those occupations is $114,894, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $86,957. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 3.2% higher, with 5,130 projected openings a year. That works out to about 211 openings a year for every hundred graduates, meaning more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the broader occupational wage figures shown here.