Chemical Engineeringat University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Graduates earn $77,440/yr in their first year — about 7.0% above the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $979K; scenarios range from $830K to $1,032K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UIUC
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Chemical Engineering graduates start at $77,440/yr — above the $72,288 national average, though not by a wide margin.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 15.3x 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 20% gap from the optimistic case.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $21,470 in median debt clears quickly against $77,440 in annual earnings.
At #49 of 158 Chemical Engineering programs, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign scores above the median — competitive but not a standout.
Earnings grow from $77,440 to $107,589 over five years — a 39% 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 UIUC'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 UIUC stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UIUC
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UIUC, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at UIUC
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Chemical Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
This program scores 72/100 — 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 $829,925 in decade earnings vs $1,031,808 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.