University at Buffalo Chemical Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Chemical Engineering graduates of University at Buffalo earn a median $95,424 four years after graduating ($67,873 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $23,161. That is $1,380 below the U.S. median for Chemical Engineering graduates ($96,804 across 158 colleges), and ranks 5th of 12 New York colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$95,424

U.S. median for this major: $96,804.

College Scorecard field of study; 71 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$67,873

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$23,161

About 24% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $23,298.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$20,995 /yr

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

Sticker price $30,785. College Scorecard.

UB Chemical Engineering: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

UB graduates$95,424
New York median (12 colleges)$94,128 (+$1,296)
U.S. median (158 colleges)$96,804 (−$1,380)

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.

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

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses UB'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$14,668$62,1921.0 years
$30–48k$16,585$70,3201.2 years
$48–75k$21,262$90,1511.5 years
$75–110k$24,117$102,2561.7 years
$110k+$28,079$119,0552.0 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (59% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Chemical Engineering graduates 4 years after graduating ($95,424) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $60,791 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.

Chemical Engineering at New York colleges

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

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Cornell University$116,165$14,361$28,69095%
2The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art$100,191—$13,26981%
3Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute$98,679$25,332$36,22884%
4Manhattan University$96,134$26,503$27,25664%
5University at Buffalo$95,424$23,161$20,99575%
6Rochester Institute of Technology$94,641$30,750$34,90670%
7Clarkson University$93,614$27,000$30,30575%
8University of Rochester$92,102$23,000$29,27885%
9New York University$89,744$24,125$37,05088%
10CUNY City College$88,659$14,125$3,77657%
11Stony Brook University$88,593$24,797$18,78476%
12Syracuse University$87,529$27,000$38,79384%

4 more New York colleges offer Chemical Engineering but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Chemical Engineering graduates

Chemical engineer

Buffalo area$112,770
New York$129,060
U.S.$125,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +4.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Architectural and Engineering Managers

Buffalo area$164,120
New York$175,710
U.S.$171,270

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.5% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers

Buffalo area$106,100
New York$104,010
U.S.$109,370

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.6% 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 UB, by income

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

College Scorecard

About UB

Related majors at UB

UB Chemical Engineering questions

How much do UB Chemical Engineering graduates earn?

Chemical Engineering graduates of University at Buffalo earn a median $95,424 four years after graduating and $67,873 one year after. The U.S. median for Chemical Engineering graduates across 158 colleges is $96,804.

How much debt do UB Chemical Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Chemical Engineering graduates of University at Buffalo is $23,161, about 24% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,298.

Is UB a good school for Chemical Engineering in New York?

On pay, Chemical Engineering graduates of University at Buffalo earn $95,424 four years out, $1,296 above the median for the same major across 12 New York colleges ($94,128) and $1,380 below the U.S. median ($96,804). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does UB rank for Chemical Engineering in New York?

Of 12 New York colleges reporting Chemical Engineering graduate earnings, University at Buffalo ranks 5th. The highest is Cornell University at $116,165.

What jobs do Chemical Engineering graduates get?

A common career is chemical engineer, with a median wage of $112,770 in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY area and $125,040 nationally. Others include architectural and engineering managers and bioengineers and biomedical engineers.

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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: “University at Buffalo Chemical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-at-buffalo/majors/chemical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).