University of California-Santa Barbara Chemical Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Chemical Engineering graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara earn a median $113,317 four years after graduating ($79,737 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $14,937. That is $16,513 above the U.S. median for Chemical Engineering graduates ($96,804 across 158 colleges), and ranks 2nd of 10 California colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$113,317

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

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$79,737

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$14,937

About 13% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $23,298.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$16,109 /yr

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

Sticker price $41,573. College Scorecard.

Chemical Engineering at California colleges

Every California 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
1University of California-Berkeley$121,027$18,155$13,48193%
2University of California-Santa Barbara$113,317$14,937$16,10983%
3University of California-Los Angeles$108,066$18,205$12,54893%
4California State Polytechnic University-Pomona$102,849$21,812$11,53168%
5University of California-Davis$102,649$16,000$14,74186%
6University of Southern California$100,646$13,000$32,74092%
7University of California-Irvine$97,656$18,500$14,25187%
8University of California-San Diego$96,798$18,157$12,47086%
9California State University-Long Beach$92,523$16,374$10,44069%
10University of California-Riverside$91,457$17,413$14,30476%

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

Careers for Chemical Engineering graduates

Chemical engineer

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

Santa Maria area$207,900
California$210,280
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

California$128,310
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 University of California-Santa Barbara, by income

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

College Scorecard

About University of California-Santa Barbara

Related majors at University of California-Santa Barbara

University of California-Santa Barbara Chemical Engineering questions

How much do University of California-Santa Barbara Chemical Engineering graduates earn?

Chemical Engineering graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara earn a median $113,317 four years after graduating and $79,737 one year after. The U.S. median for Chemical Engineering graduates across 158 colleges is $96,804.

How much debt do University of California-Santa Barbara Chemical Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Chemical Engineering graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara is $14,937, about 13% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,298.

Where does University of California-Santa Barbara rank for Chemical Engineering in California?

Of 10 California colleges reporting Chemical Engineering graduate earnings, University of California-Santa Barbara ranks 2nd. The highest is University of California-Berkeley at $121,027.

What jobs do Chemical Engineering graduates get?

A common career is chemical engineer, with a median wage of — in California 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 of California-Santa Barbara Chemical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-california-santa-barbara/majors/chemical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).