University of California-Davis: Chemical Engineering

Bachelor's degree · CIP 14.07 · No credentials fully online · Davis, CA

Graduates of this program who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $80,469 one year after completing and $102,649 four years after. The median federal loan debt of graduates was $13,500. Nationally, graduates of bachelor's degree programs in this field earned a median of $80,826 one year after completing.

Median earnings, 1 year
$80,469
80 graduates measured Verified data
Median earnings, 4 years
$102,649
Verified data
Median federal debt
$13,500
46 borrowers Verified data
Debt to first-year earnings
0.17x
median debt / median earnings Calculated estimate

This program compared with the national picture

MeasureThis programNational median, same field and credential
Median earnings 1 year after completion$80,469$80,826
Median earnings 4 years after completion$102,649$98,158
Median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS)$13,500$22,292 Median of programs
Estimated monthly payment on median debt (10-year standard)$153
Graduates in the most recent year548,068 across 196 programs

Earnings cohorts: Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars. Debt cohort: NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort. Debt covers federal loans only and excludes private loans and Parent PLUS loans. Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, before taxes.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Careers this field prepares students for

From the official CIP to SOC crosswalk. Graduates do not all enter these occupations, and occupation wages describe all workers, not new graduates. Official crosswalk

OccupationMedian wage, all workersChange 2025 to 2035
Architectural and engineering managers$171,270+5.5%
Bioengineers and biomedical engineers$109,370+7.6%
Chemical engineers$125,040+4.7%
Engineers, all other$122,930+3.7%
Engineering teachers, postsecondary$109,270+7.8%
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Comparable programs with the highest early earnings

SchoolMedian earnings, 1 yrMedian debt
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MA · Private, nonprofit
$103,310Data unavailable
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
GA · Public
$99,320$26,234
The University of Texas at Austin
TX · Public
$93,355$15,438
Texas A&M University-College Station
TX · Public
$91,414$19,500
University of Houston
TX · Public
$90,666$24,000
Cornell University
NY · Private, nonprofit
$90,501$13,500
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public
$89,950$17,417
University of Maine
ME · Public
$88,587$23,207
University of Wisconsin-Madison
WI · Public
$88,450$19,500
University of California-Los Angeles
CA · Public
$88,013$13,350

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University of California-Davis Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's degree): Earnings and Debt | ConnectPrep Career Intelligence