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Engineering · Chemical Engineering Rank #122 of 158

Chemical Engineeringat Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Graduates earn $82,394/yr in their first year — about 14.0% above the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $956K; scenarios range from $813K to $1,006K depending on AI disruption.

Terre Haute, IN Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
62 SOLID
64
Optimistic
59
Pessimistic
Earnings
$82,394
1-year post-graduation
ROI
3.7x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$956K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Rose-Hulman

At $82,394 per year, Chemical Engineering graduates from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology earn slightly above the $72,288 national median. The premium is real but not dramatic.

The 4.2x return on tuition is positive but not overwhelming. Financial outcomes depend on keeping costs close to in-state rates.

AI risk is moderate — 48% task exposure — and the 19% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The median debt load of $24,499 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

At #122 out of 158 programs, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's financial outcomes for Chemical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $82,394 to $106,661 shows 29% 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
$813K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple3.6x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$956K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score62/100
Earnings Multiple4.2x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$1,006K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score64/100
Earnings Multiple4.4x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Other top programs at Rose-Hulman

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Rose-Hulman, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at Rose-Hulman

How does Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's Chemical Engineering program score?

A score of 62/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 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.