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Engineering · Chemical Engineering Rank #57 of 158

Chemical Engineeringat Oregon State University-Cascades Campus

Graduates earn $71,618/yr in their first year — about 1.0% below the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $880K; scenarios range from $757K to $922K depending on AI disruption.

Bend, OR Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
72 STRONG
73
Optimistic
70
Pessimistic
Earnings
$71,618
1-year post-graduation
ROI
18.1x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$880K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at OSU Cascades

Oregon State University-Cascades Campus's Chemical Engineering program produces graduates earning $71,618/yr — within striking distance of the $72,288 national average for this field.

The 17.5x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 48% task exposure — and the 18% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $24,000 in median debt clears quickly against $71,618 in annual earnings.

Ranked #57 out of 158 programs, Oregon State University-Cascades Campus's Chemical Engineering offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $71,618 to $95,971 shows 34% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

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
$757K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score70/100
Earnings Multiple15.0x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$880K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score72/100
Earnings Multiple17.5x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$922K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score73/100
Earnings Multiple18.3x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to OSU Cascades'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 OSU Cascades 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 OSU Cascades

Other top programs at OSU Cascades

Other highest-scoring programs offered at OSU Cascades, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at OSU Cascades

How does Oregon State University-Cascades Campus's Chemical Engineering program score?

A score of 72/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. Oregon State University-Cascades Campus's Chemical Engineering graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.

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.