Home Schools Johns Hopkins University Chemical Engineering
Engineering · Chemical Engineering Rank #152 of 158

Chemical Engineeringat Johns Hopkins University

Graduates earn $51,267/yr in their first year — about 29.0% below the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $1,176K; scenarios range from $975K to $1,250K depending on AI disruption.

Baltimore, MD Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
55 SOLID
57
Optimistic
55
Pessimistic
Earnings
$51,267
1-year post-graduation
ROI
3.4x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$1,176K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins' Chemical Engineering program often sees graduates lean into the robust local biotech, pharmaceutical, and healthcare R&D sectors. This regional specialization, given the university's overall strengths and the Baltimore-Washington corridor's economic landscape, can mean initial career paths emphasize research-intensive roles or advanced studies rather than immediate, high-paying industrial production positions common in other chemical engineering hubs. Your trajectory might naturally trend towards bioengineering or specialized materials science, where the long-term impact is significant, but early-career salaries can differ from traditional petrochemical or bulk chemical manufacturing. The high AI risk reflects the field's rapid evolution, where automation and data science are transforming process design and optimization. To maximize your potential, actively seek internships in your desired niche, whether that's drug discovery or advanced materials, and explore how AI/ML tools are being integrated into those specific sub-fields.

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
$975K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score55/100
Earnings Multiple3.8x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$1,176K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score55/100
Earnings Multiple4.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$1,250K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score57/100
Earnings Multiple4.9x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Johns Hopkins 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 Johns Hopkins 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 Johns Hopkins University

Other top programs at Johns Hopkins University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Johns Hopkins University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University

How does Johns Hopkins University's Chemical Engineering program score?

A score of 55/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Johns Hopkins 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.

Why are Chemical Engineering earnings lower at Johns Hopkins University?

Lower starting pay at Johns Hopkins University may reflect local labor market conditions rather than program quality. Many graduates see convergence with national averages within 3-5 years.

How affordable is Chemical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University after financial aid?

Sticker price is $253,360, but the average net cost is $72,644 — a 71% discount. For students who qualify for aid, this program is considerably more affordable than it appears.