University of Houston Chemical Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Chemical Engineering graduates of University of Houston earn a median $110,184 four years after graduating ($84,468 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $20,000. That is $13,380 above the U.S. median for Chemical Engineering graduates ($96,804 across 158 colleges), and ranks 4th of 8 Texas colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$110,184

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

College Scorecard field of study; 70 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$84,468

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$20,000

About 18% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $23,298.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$14,276 /yr

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

Sticker price $26,185. College Scorecard.

UH Chemical Engineering: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

UH graduates$110,184
Texas median (8 colleges)$105,601 (+$4,583)
U.S. median (158 colleges)$96,804 (+$13,380)

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 UH'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$10,929$47,978under 1 year
$30–48k$10,220$44,866under 1 year
$48–75k$12,528$54,998under 1 year
$75–110k$19,197$84,2751.1 years
$110k+$23,811$104,5301.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (45% 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 ($110,184) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $76,668 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 Texas colleges

Every Texas 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
1The University of Texas at Austin$115,423$19,844$19,85789%
2Rice University$113,605$13,178$13,37095%
3Texas A&M University-College Station$111,073$18,135$21,31584%
4University of Houston$110,184$20,000$14,27665%
5Lamar University$101,018$20,019$9,36637%
6Texas Tech University$99,747$28,000$19,07069%
7Texas A&M University-Kingsville$97,811$23,500$12,09042%
8Prairie View A & M University$92,591$33,000$13,57043%

3 more Texas colleges offer Chemical Engineering but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Chemical Engineering graduates

Chemical engineer

Houston area$138,120
Texas$132,750
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

Houston area$172,020
Texas$171,370
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

Houston area$84,160
Texas$92,600
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 UH, by income

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

College Scorecard

About UH

Related majors at UH

UH Chemical Engineering questions

How much do UH Chemical Engineering graduates earn?

Chemical Engineering graduates of University of Houston earn a median $110,184 four years after graduating and $84,468 one year after. The U.S. median for Chemical Engineering graduates across 158 colleges is $96,804.

How much debt do UH Chemical Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Chemical Engineering graduates of University of Houston is $20,000, about 18% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,298.

Is UH a good school for Chemical Engineering in Texas?

On pay, Chemical Engineering graduates of University of Houston earn $110,184 four years out, $4,583 above the median for the same major across 8 Texas colleges ($105,601) and $13,380 above the U.S. median ($96,804). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does UH rank for Chemical Engineering in Texas?

Of 8 Texas colleges reporting Chemical Engineering graduate earnings, University of Houston ranks 4th. The highest is The University of Texas at Austin at $115,423.

What jobs do Chemical Engineering graduates get?

A common career is chemical engineer, with a median wage of $138,120 in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 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 of Houston Chemical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-houston/majors/chemical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).