Chemical Engineeringat Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Graduates earn $62,468/yr in their first year — about 14.0% below the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $926K; scenarios range from $791K to $973K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Graduates earn $62,468/yr, roughly in line with the $72,288 national median for Chemical Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
With a 18.0x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.
The 19% 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 $62,468 far exceeding the $20,549 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
A #75 ranking among 158 Chemical Engineering programs places Colorado State University-Fort Collins in the middle-to-upper range. Solid, not exceptional.
The $62,468-to-$97,269 earnings arc over five years reflects a 56% gain — well above average career growth for recent graduates.
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 State University-Fort Collins'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 State University-Fort Collins stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Colorado State University-Fort Collins, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at Colorado State University-Fort Collins
What does a 70/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Chemical Engineering at Colorado State University-Fort Collins?
At 70/100, this is a high-performing program. The DegreeOutlook Score combines earnings, AI resilience, and ROI — and this program delivers on all three.
Should I worry about AI if I study Chemical Engineering at Colorado State University-Fort Collins?
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.