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Engineering · Chemical Engineering Rank #88 of 158

Chemical Engineeringat Michigan Technological University

Graduates earn $80,193/yr in their first year — about 11.0% above the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $852K; scenarios range from $736K to $891K depending on AI disruption.

Houghton, MI Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
69 SOLID
71
Optimistic
66
Pessimistic
Earnings
$80,193
1-year post-graduation
ROI
11.9x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$852K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Michigan Technological University

Michigan Technological University's Chemical Engineering graduates start at $80,193/yr — above the $72,288 national average, though not by a wide margin.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 11.6x 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 17% gap from the optimistic case.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $23,875 in median debt clears quickly against $80,193 in annual earnings.

Ranked #88 of 158 Chemical Engineering programs, Michigan Technological University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

Five-year earnings of $95,207 are relatively flat compared to the $80,193 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.

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
$736K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score66/100
Earnings Multiple10.0x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$852K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score69/100
Earnings Multiple11.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$891K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score71/100
Earnings Multiple12.1x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Other top programs at Michigan Technological University

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

FAQ

Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at Michigan Technological University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Chemical Engineering at Michigan Technological University?

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 $736,427 in decade earnings vs $890,934 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.