University of Southern California Chemical Engineering: earnings, debt & careers

Chemical Engineering graduates of University of Southern California earn a median $100,646 four years after graduating ($68,234 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $13,000. That is $3,842 above the U.S. median for Chemical Engineering graduates ($96,804 across 158 colleges), and ranks 6th of 10 California colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$100,646

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

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$68,234

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$13,000

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

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$32,740 /yr

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

Sticker price $90,300. 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

Los Angeles area$134,210
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

Los Angeles area$190,900
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

Los Angeles area$128,240
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 USC, by income

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

College Scorecard

About USC

Related majors at USC

USC Chemical Engineering questions

How much do USC Chemical Engineering graduates earn?

Chemical Engineering graduates of University of Southern California earn a median $100,646 four years after graduating and $68,234 one year after. The U.S. median for Chemical Engineering graduates across 158 colleges is $96,804.

How much debt do USC Chemical Engineering graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Chemical Engineering graduates of University of Southern California is $13,000, about 13% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,298.

Where does USC rank for Chemical Engineering in California?

Of 10 California colleges reporting Chemical Engineering graduate earnings, University of Southern California ranks 6th. 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 $134,210 in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 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 Southern California Chemical Engineering: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-southern-california/majors/chemical-engineering (College Scorecard and BLS data).