Rochester Institute of Technology Chemistry: earnings, debt & careers

Chemistry graduates of Rochester Institute of Technology earn a median $68,926 four years after graduating, with median federal loan debt of $24,677. That is $2,440 above the U.S. median for Chemistry graduates ($66,486 across 209 colleges), and ranks 7th of 14 New York colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$68,926

U.S. median for this major: $66,486.

College Scorecard field of study; 18 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
—

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$24,677

About 36% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $23,600.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$34,906 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $74,626. College Scorecard.

RIT Chemistry: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

RIT graduates$68,926
New York median (14 colleges)$68,670 (+$256)
U.S. median (209 colleges)$66,486 (+$2,440)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Chemistry nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses RIT's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$24,680$116,2433.4 years
$30–48k$24,820$116,9023.4 years
$48–75k$28,874$135,9974.0 years
$75–110k$34,510$162,5424.7 years
$110k+$44,970$211,8096.2 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.7 years, the average time graduates took (28% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Chemistry graduates 4 years after graduating ($68,926) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $34,293 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Chemistry at New York colleges

Every New York college we cover that reports Chemistry graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1New York University$86,197$23,250$37,05088%
2Cornell University$79,311$15,121$28,69095%
3Le Moyne College$77,564—$22,27773%
4SUNY College at Geneseo$75,893—$18,21171%
5Stony Brook University$71,783$22,750$18,78476%
6University at Albany$70,124$25,856$17,16761%
7Rochester Institute of Technology$68,926$24,677$34,90670%
8University at Buffalo$68,413$23,250$20,99575%
9Syracuse University$68,017$21,459$38,79384%
10SUNY Buffalo State University$61,262$24,373$11,34633%
11CUNY Lehman College$60,413$12,136$3,14851%
12Binghamton University$55,167$19,500$21,62082%
13CUNY Hunter College$54,699$9,000$2,98457%
14St. John's University-New York$51,414$22,000$29,99966%

63 more New York colleges offer Chemistry but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Chemistry graduates

Chemist

Rochester area$84,030
New York$90,600
U.S.$91,240

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +6.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Rochester area$76,190
New York$97,070
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Data Scientists

Rochester area$92,800
New York$130,460
U.S.$120,230

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +34.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at RIT, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About RIT

Related majors at RIT

RIT Chemistry questions

How much do RIT Chemistry graduates earn?

Chemistry graduates of Rochester Institute of Technology earn a median $68,926 four years after graduating. The U.S. median for Chemistry graduates across 209 colleges is $66,486.

How much debt do RIT Chemistry graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Chemistry graduates of Rochester Institute of Technology is $24,677, about 36% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,600.

Is RIT a good school for Chemistry in New York?

On pay, Chemistry graduates of Rochester Institute of Technology earn $68,926 four years out, $256 above the median for the same major across 14 New York colleges ($68,670) and $2,440 above the U.S. median ($66,486). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does RIT rank for Chemistry in New York?

Of 14 New York colleges reporting Chemistry graduate earnings, Rochester Institute of Technology ranks 7th. The highest is New York University at $86,197.

What jobs do Chemistry graduates get?

A common career is chemist, with a median wage of $84,030 in the Rochester, NY area and $91,240 nationally. Others include secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education and data scientists.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “Rochester Institute of Technology Chemistry: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/rochester-institute-of-technology/majors/chemistry (College Scorecard and BLS data).