# Lafayette College: Chemical Engineering (bachelor's)

Easton, PA. IPEDS 213385, CIP 14.07. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/lafayette-college/majors/chemical-engineering

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $79,602
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $115,726 (U.S. median for this major: $96,804 across 158 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $17,000 (U.S. median $23,298)
- Rank in PA: 1 of 11 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the PA median for this major (11 colleges, $101,720): +$14,006
- Versus the U.S. median: +$18,922

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.11 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $115,726 minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $12,716 | $52,263 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $7,445 | $30,599 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $10,881 | $44,721 | under 1 year |
| 75-110k | $12,581 | $51,708 | under 1 year |
| 110k+ | $52,608 | $216,219 | 2.7 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Chemical Engineering at PA colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette College | $115,726 | $17,000 | $34,433 | 88% |
| Carnegie Mellon University | $110,378 | $23,125 | $31,944 | 94% |
| University of Pennsylvania | $109,884 | $20,500 | $28,699 | 97% |
| Pennsylvania State University | $103,728 | $26,831 | $32,875 | 86% |
| Villanova University | $103,601 | $27,000 | $43,756 | 92% |
| Lehigh University | $101,720 | $27,000 | $36,931 | 88% |
| Bucknell University | $99,536 | $27,000 | $40,766 | 86% |
| Drexel University | $99,338 | $30,860 | $38,509 | 78% |
| University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | $97,324 | $26,548 | $18,202 | 56% |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $97,324 | $26,548 | $30,434 | 86% |
| Widener University | $91,145 | $27,000 | $25,759 | 68% |

## Careers
- Chemical engineer (SOC 17-2040): median wage not reported Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ, $116,970 PA, $125,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs 4.7% by 2035
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041): median wage $166,180 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ, $164,690 PA, $171,270 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5.5% by 2035
- Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers (SOC 17-2031): median wage not reported Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ, $122,560 PA, $109,370 U.S.; U.S. jobs 7.6% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).