Top Chemical Engineering Programs in the Northeast (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in the Northeast
Regional list from Chemical Engineering Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 38 Chemical Engineering programs in the Northeast by the median earnings of Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads the list with median earnings of $122,093 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $122,093 to $73,635, with a median of $97,348. For 2 of the 38 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 14 public and 24 private nonprofit institutions. CUNY City College reports the lowest average net price on the page, at $3,776.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick ranks 30th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. University of Maine posts the highest admission rate, admitting 97% of applicants.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA | $122,093 | $20,111 | -$2,533* | 4.6% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology reports $122,093 in median earnings for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Cornell University · Ithaca, NY | $116,165 | $28,690 | $1,776 | 8.8% |
| Cornell University admits 9% of applicants and posts a median federal debt of $14,361 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | Lafayette College · Easton, PA | $115,726 | $34,433 | $12,716 | 31.5% |
| Lafayette College, a private nonprofit university in Easton, posts median earnings of $115,726 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA | $110,378 | $31,944 | $9,097 | 11.7% |
| Carnegie Mellon University ranks 106th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $31,944. | |||||
| 5 | University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, PA | $109,884 | $28,699 | -$3,012* | 5.4% |
| University of Pennsylvania shows median earnings of $109,884 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with 28 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 6 | Northeastern University · Boston, MA | $107,767 | $30,915 | $2,264 | 5.2% |
| Northeastern University carries an average net price of $2,264 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $107,767 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $103,728 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus ranks 7th on this list and carries a median federal debt of $26,706 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 8 | Villanova University · Villanova, PA | $103,601 | $43,756 | $17,823 | 27.0% |
| Villanova University posts an admission rate of 27% and median earnings of $103,601 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of Rhode Island · Kingston, RI | $103,525 | $21,440 | $14,368 | 72.2% |
| University of Rhode Island reports an average net price of $21,440 and median earnings of $103,525 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Lehigh University · Bethlehem, PA | $101,720 | $36,931 | $16,917 | 25.9% |
| Lehigh University ranks 143rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed left with a median federal debt of $27,000. | |||||
| 11 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick · New Brunswick, NJ | $100,729 | $24,406 | $16,343 | 58.2% |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick admits 58% of applicants and reports median earnings of $100,729 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute · Worcester, MA | $100,199 | $43,071 | $24,018 | 60.2% |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute carries an average net price of $24,018 for families earning under $30,000, and its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing earn a median of $100,199. | |||||
| 13 | The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art · New York, NY | $100,191 | $13,269 | $3,749 | 20.7% |
| The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art ranks 13th on this list, reporting $100,191 in median earnings for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | Bucknell University · Lewisburg, PA | $99,536 | $40,766 | $20,980 | 28.9% |
| Bucknell University admits 29% of applicants, with a median federal debt of $27,000 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 15 | Drexel University · Philadelphia, PA | $99,338 | $38,509 | $28,055 | 79.4% |
| Drexel University reports $99,338 in median earnings four years after completing, with an average net price of $28,055 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 16 | Stevens Institute of Technology · Hoboken, NJ | $98,782 | $41,346 | $27,221 | 47.6% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Hoboken, Stevens Institute of Technology posts $98,782 in median earnings for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Troy, NY | $98,679 | $36,228 | $24,078 | 63.5% |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute records $98,679 in median earnings four years after completing, and a median federal debt of $24,985 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 18 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst · Amherst, MA | $97,990 | $22,383 | $10,164 | 59.7% |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst ranks 145th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with $97,990 in median earnings four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | New Jersey Institute of Technology · Newark, NJ | $97,371 | $16,504 | $10,138 | 65.1% |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology admits 65% of applicants and reports $97,371 in median earnings for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus · Pittsburgh, PA | $97,324 | $30,434 | $14,709 | 58.1% |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus reports $97,324 in median earnings four years after completing, and a median federal debt of $24,750 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 21 | Manhattan University · Riverdale, NY | $96,134 | $27,256 | $27,281 | 78.9% |
| Manhattan University ranks 21st on this list, with $96,134 in median earnings for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | Rowan University · Glassboro, NJ | $95,769 | $22,408 | $15,305 | 77.7% |
| Rowan University shows an average net price of $15,305 for families earning under $30,000 and $95,769 in median earnings four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | University at Buffalo · Buffalo, NY | $95,424 | $20,995 | $14,668 | 74.2% |
| With $95,424 in median earnings four years after completing, University at Buffalo posts a median federal debt of $21,512 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 24 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell · Lowell, MA | $94,972 | $17,163 | $9,943 | 83.0% |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell admits 83% of applicants and records $94,972 in median earnings for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | University of Maine · Orono, ME | $94,964 | $17,510 | $12,642 | 96.6% |
| A public university in Orono, University of Maine admits 97% of applicants and reports median earnings of $94,964 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 26 | Rochester Institute of Technology · Rochester, NY | $94,641 | $34,906 | $24,680 | 66.9% |
| An average net price of $34,906 coincides with median earnings of $94,641 for Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing at Rochester Institute of Technology, a private nonprofit university in Rochester. | |||||
| 27 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus · Durham, NH | $93,711 | $23,805 | $16,523 | 88.2% |
| University of New Hampshire-Main Campus ranks 27th on this list and shows median earnings of $93,711 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | Clarkson University · Potsdam, NY | $93,614 | $30,305 | $21,335 | 77.4% |
| Clarkson University reports a median federal debt of $27,000 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed, while its graduates four years after completing earn a median of $93,614. | |||||
| 29 | University of Rochester · Rochester, NY | $92,102 | $29,278 | $9,678 | 40.1% |
| University of Rochester ranks 318th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $92,102 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 30 | Widener University · Chester, PA | $91,145 | $25,759 | $21,200 | 70.9% |
| Widener University posts an average net price of $21,200 for families earning under $30,000, with median earnings of $91,145 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | New York University · New York, NY | $89,744 | $37,050 | $16,977 | 9.2% |
| New York University admits 9% of applicants and reports median earnings of $89,744 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 32 | CUNY City College · New York, NY | $88,659 | $3,776 | $1,251 | 60.0% |
| CUNY City College carries a median federal debt of $11,990 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, and its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing earn a median of $88,659. | |||||
| 33 | Stony Brook University · Stony Brook, NY | $88,593 | $18,784 | $12,943 | 49.0% |
| Stony Brook University ranks 45th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $88,593 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 34 | Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY | $87,529 | $38,793 | $15,817 | 45.9% |
| Syracuse University posts an average net price of $15,817 for families earning under $30,000, with median earnings of $87,529 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 35 | University of Connecticut · Storrs, CT | $87,267 | $25,097 | $15,193 | 52.4% |
| University of Connecticut reports a median federal debt of $24,700 among Chemical Engineering completers who borrowed, while its graduates four years after completing earn a median of $87,267. | |||||
| 36 | University of New Haven · West Haven, CT | $85,269 | $34,192 | $27,837 | 60.4% |
| Graduates of University of New Haven's Chemical Engineering program earn a median of $85,269 four years after completing, and the school admits 60% of applicants. | |||||
| 37 | Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY | $75,204 | $21,590 | $4,570 | 4.0% |
| Columbia University in the City of New York admits 4% of applicants and reports an average net price of $4,570 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 38 | Tufts University · Medford, MA | $73,635 | $39,998 | $11,284 | 11.5% |
| Tufts University ranks 38th on this list, with median earnings of $73,635 for its Chemical Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
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 Northeast appear. The figures are medians for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 2 of the 38 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or the characteristics of who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cornell University is $5,928, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom is $48,458.
Job market context in the Northeast
Chemical Engineering graduates in the Northeast enter occupations such as Engineers, All Other and Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary. The median annual wage across those occupations is $113,252, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $83,268. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 3.5% higher, with about 249 openings a year for every hundred graduates, 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 described here.
Related rankings
- Chemical Engineering Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the Northeast
- Best Chemical Engineering Programs in the Midwest
- Best Chemical Engineering Programs in the South
- Best Chemical Engineering Programs in the West
- Best Engineering Colleges in the Northeast
- Engineering Colleges in the Northeast for Social Mobility