Chemical Engineeringat Colorado School of Mines
Graduates earn $68,318/yr in their first year — about 5.0% below the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $888K; scenarios range from $763K to $931K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Colorado School of Mines
Graduates earn $68,318/yr, roughly in line with the $72,288 national median for Chemical Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
With a 10.5x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.
The 18% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Chemical Engineering career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.
With first-year pay of $68,318 far exceeding the $26,798 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
A #112 ranking among 158 Chemical Engineering programs places Colorado School of Mines in the lower half. Price, proximity, and personal fit become the stronger arguments.
A 40% earnings increase from $68,318 to $95,781 over five years is solid — not a moonshot, but evidence of normal career advancement.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Colorado School of Mines's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering Chemical Engineering
How Colorado School of Mines stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Colorado School of Mines
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Colorado School of Mines, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines
What does a 65/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Chemical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines?
At 65/100, the score looks reasonable — but Chemical Engineering is a high-scoring field overall. Compared to peers, this program's earnings and ROI fall below the median.
Should I worry about AI if I study Chemical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines?
The 48% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.