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Engineering · Chemical Engineering Rank #137 of 158

Chemical Engineeringat Case Western Reserve University

Graduates earn $83,706/yr in their first year — about 16.0% above the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $871K; scenarios range from $750K to $912K depending on AI disruption.

Cleveland, OH Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
60 SOLID
61
Optimistic
57
Pessimistic
Earnings
$83,706
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.8x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$871K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Case Western Reserve University

First-year earnings of $83,706 at Case Western Reserve University come in 16% above the national median of $72,288 for Chemical Engineering programs.

The 3.4x return on tuition is positive but not overwhelming. Financial outcomes depend on keeping costs close to in-state rates.

AI risk is moderate — 48% task exposure — and the 18% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $83,706 far exceeding the $23,250 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

At #137 out of 158 programs, Case Western Reserve University's financial outcomes for Chemical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

Earnings growth is modest: $83,706 to $98,005 over five years (17% gain). This field may have a lower salary ceiling than high-growth professions.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$750K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score57/100
Earnings Multiple2.9x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$871K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score60/100
Earnings Multiple3.4x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$912K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score61/100
Earnings Multiple3.5x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Case Western Reserve University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Chemical Engineering graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Chemical engineers
+2.6% 10-yr growth · 1,100 openings/yr
$121,860/yr
Moderate
3
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
4
Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
+5.2% 10-yr growth · 1,300 openings/yr
$106,950/yr
High
5
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Chemical Engineering

How Case Western Reserve University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Rice University
TX · Private nonprofit
64
DW Score
$88K
1-yr earn
4.1x
ROI
The University of Texas at Austin
TX · Public
76
DW Score
$87K
1-yr earn
22.7x
ROI
Top score
Lamar University
TX · Public
77
DW Score
$87K
1-yr earn
30.8x
ROI
University of Florida
FL · Public
77
DW Score
$87K
1-yr earn
40.0x
ROI
Texas A & M University-College Station
TX · Public
76
DW Score
$86K
1-yr earn
22.6x
ROI
Also at Case Western Reserve University

Other top programs at Case Western Reserve University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Case Western Reserve University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University

How does Case Western Reserve University's Chemical Engineering program score?

A score of 60/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Case Western Reserve University trails the majority of Chemical Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Chemical Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Chemical Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 48% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.