# Rice University: Chemical Engineering (bachelor's)

Houston, TX. IPEDS 227757, CIP 14.07. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/rice-university/majors/chemical-engineering

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $87,830
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $113,605 (U.S. median for this major: $96,804 across 158 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $13,178 (U.S. median $23,298)
- Rank in TX: 2 of 8 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the TX median for this major (8 colleges, $105,601): +$8,004
- Versus the U.S. median: +$16,801

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.08 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $113,605 minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $5,827 | $23,774 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $563 | $2,297 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $3,217 | $13,125 | under 1 year |
| 75-110k | $17,755 | $72,440 | under 1 year |
| 110k+ | $48,466 | $197,741 | 2.5 years |

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

## Chemical Engineering at TX colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Texas at Austin | $115,423 | $19,844 | $19,857 | 89% |
| Rice University | $113,605 | $13,178 | $13,370 | 95% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station | $111,073 | $18,135 | $21,315 | 84% |
| University of Houston | $110,184 | $20,000 | $14,276 | 65% |
| Lamar University | $101,018 | $20,019 | $9,366 | 37% |
| Texas Tech University | $99,747 | $28,000 | $19,070 | 69% |
| Texas A&M University-Kingsville | $97,811 | $23,500 | $12,090 | 42% |
| Prairie View A & M University | $92,591 | $33,000 | $13,570 | 43% |

## Careers
- Chemical engineer (SOC 17-2040): median wage $138,120 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, $132,750 TX, $125,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs 4.7% by 2035
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041): median wage $172,020 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, $171,370 TX, $171,270 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5.5% by 2035
- Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers (SOC 17-2031): median wage $84,160 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, $92,600 TX, $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).