Chemical Engineeringat University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Graduates earn $63,886/yr in their first year — about 12.0% below the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $965K; scenarios range from $820K to $1,017K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of Louisiana at Lafayette
First-year earnings of $63,886 track close to the $72,288 national median for Chemical Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
The 23.2x 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 19% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
At $20,927 in median debt against $63,886 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
Ranked #51 out of 158 programs, University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Chemical Engineering offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
Earnings growth from $63,886 to $101,365 over five years (59% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful 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 Louisiana at Lafayette'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 Louisiana at Lafayette stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Louisiana at Lafayette, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at University of Louisiana at Lafayette
How does University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Chemical Engineering program score?
A score of 72/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. University of Louisiana at Lafayette'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.