Chemical Engineeringat The University of Alabama
Graduates earn $69,809/yr in their first year — about 3.0% below the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $896K; scenarios range from $769K to $940K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of Alabama
Graduates earn $69,809/yr, roughly in line with the $72,288 national median for Chemical Engineering. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
The 18.8x 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.
With first-year pay of $69,809 far exceeding the $22,625 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
Ranked #46 out of 158 programs, The University of Alabama's Chemical Engineering offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $69,809 to $97,080 shows 39% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Alabama's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering Chemical Engineering
How University of Alabama stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of Alabama
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Alabama, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at University of Alabama
How does The University of Alabama's Chemical Engineering program score?
A score of 72/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. The University of Alabama'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.