Chemical Engineeringat University of California-Santa Barbara
Graduates earn $79,737/yr in their first year — about 10.0% above the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $937K; scenarios range from $799K to $985K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UC Santa Barbara
University of California-Santa Barbara's Chemical Engineering graduates start at $79,737/yr — above the $72,288 national average, though not by a wide margin.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 15.7x 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 19% gap from the optimistic case.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $14,937 in median debt clears quickly against $79,737 in annual earnings.
At #31 of 158 nationally, this is a top-5% Chemical Engineering program. Financial outcomes consistently outperform the vast majority of peers.
Earnings grow from $79,737 to $104,039 over five years — a 30% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career 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 UC Santa Barbara'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 UC Santa Barbara stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UC Santa Barbara
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UC Santa Barbara, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at UC Santa Barbara
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Chemical Engineering at University of California-Santa Barbara?
This program scores 73/100 — placing it among the stronger programs for Chemical Engineering nationally. The score reflects above-average earnings, manageable AI risk, and solid financial return.
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 $798,886 in decade earnings vs $985,043 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
What makes University of California-Santa Barbara's Chemical Engineering program stand out?
Ranked #31 of 158 programs nationally, University of California-Santa Barbara lands in the top 25%. The ranking reflects a combination of graduate earnings, return on investment, and job market alignment.