Chemical Engineeringat CUNY City College
Graduates earn $67,450/yr in their first year — about 7.0% below the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $637K; scenarios range from $578K to $652K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at CUNY City College
CUNY City College's Chemical Engineering program produces graduates earning $67,450/yr — within striking distance of the $72,288 national average for this field.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 21.7x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Chemical Engineering programs nationally.
Some AI exposure exists in Chemical Engineering's typical career paths, with 48% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 11% gap from the optimistic case.
Ranked #90 of 158 Chemical Engineering programs, CUNY City College falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Five-year earnings of $68,626 are relatively flat compared to the $67,450 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.
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 CUNY City College'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 CUNY City College stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at CUNY City College
Other highest-scoring programs offered at CUNY City College, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at CUNY City College
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Chemical Engineering at CUNY City College?
This program scores 69/100 — a respectable number in isolation, but it ranks in the bottom half of Chemical Engineering programs nationally. The field is competitive, and stronger options exist.
Will AI replace Chemical Engineering careers?
With 48% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $577,913 in decade earnings vs $652,105 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Is CUNY City College a hidden gem for Chemical Engineering?
After financial aid, the average student pays $13,944 over four years — 53% below the $29,360 sticker price. That gap makes the ROI significantly better than published tuition suggests.