# Purdue University: Chemical Engineering (bachelor's)

West Lafayette, IN. IPEDS 243780, CIP 14.07. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/chemical-engineering

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $81,105
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $104,514 (U.S. median for this major: $96,804 across 158 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $21,500 (U.S. median $23,298)
- Rank in IN: 2 of 4 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the IN median for this major (4 colleges, $101,428): +$3,086
- Versus the U.S. median: +$7,710

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.26 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $104,514 minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $5,098 | $21,717 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $6,241 | $26,587 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $9,438 | $40,206 | under 1 year |
| 75-110k | $18,177 | $77,434 | 1.1 years |
| 110k+ | $22,742 | $96,881 | 1.4 years |

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

## Chemical Engineering at IN colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Notre Dame | $113,614 | $19,000 | $26,780 | 95% |
| Purdue University | $104,514 | $21,500 | $14,600 | 83% |
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | $98,341 | $24,500 | $42,513 | 78% |
| Trine University | $88,192 | $27,000 | $25,355 | 64% |

## Careers
- Chemical engineer (SOC 17-2040): median wage not reported Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN, $113,160 IN, $125,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs 4.7% by 2035
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041): median wage $177,640 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN, $155,810 IN, $171,270 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5.5% by 2035
- Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers (SOC 17-2031): median wage not reported Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN, $108,030 IN, $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).