Home Schools Kettering University Chemical Engineering
Engineering · Chemical Engineering Rank #156 of 158

Chemical Engineeringat Kettering University

Graduates earn $71,411/yr in their first year — about 1.0% below the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $733K; scenarios range from $649K to $759K depending on AI disruption.

Flint, MI Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
49 AVERAGE
50
Optimistic
47
Pessimistic
Earnings
$71,411
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.8x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$733K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Kettering University

At $71,411/yr, Chemical Engineering graduates from Kettering University land near the $72,288 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.

An earnings multiple of 4.0x means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition, but not by a dramatic margin. Returns are positive but modest.

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 15% gap from the optimistic case.

The median debt load of $29,000 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

Ranked #156 of 158 Chemical Engineering programs, Kettering University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

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
$649K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score47/100
Earnings Multiple3.5x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$733K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score49/100
Earnings Multiple4.0x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$759K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score50/100
Earnings Multiple4.1x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Other top programs at Kettering University

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

FAQ

Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at Kettering University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Chemical Engineering at Kettering University?

A score of 49/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Chemical Engineering. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

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 $648,867 in decade earnings vs $759,010 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.