Chemical Engineeringat University at Buffalo
Graduates earn $67,873/yr in their first year — about 6.0% below the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $816K; scenarios range from $710K to $851K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University at Buffalo
First-year earnings of $67,873 track close to the $72,288 national median for Chemical Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
The 18.9x 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 17% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
At $21,512 in median debt against $67,873 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
Ranked #69 out of 158 programs, University at Buffalo's Chemical Engineering offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $67,873 to $88,444 shows 30% 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 at Buffalo'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 at Buffalo stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University at Buffalo
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University at Buffalo, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at University at Buffalo
How does University at Buffalo's Chemical Engineering program score?
A score of 71/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. University at Buffalo'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.