Chemical Engineeringat University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Graduates earn $72,514/yr in their first year — right at the national average. Base-case 10-year earnings $887K; scenarios range from $762K to $929K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of Massachusetts-Amherst
University of Massachusetts-Amherst's Chemical Engineering program produces graduates earning $72,514/yr — within striking distance of the $72,288 national average for this field.
The 12.8x 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.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $27,000 in median debt clears quickly against $72,514 in annual earnings.
At #87 out of 158 programs, University of Massachusetts-Amherst's financial outcomes for Chemical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $72,514 to $96,939 shows 34% 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 Massachusetts-Amherst'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 Massachusetts-Amherst stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Massachusetts-Amherst, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at University of Massachusetts-Amherst
How does University of Massachusetts-Amherst's Chemical Engineering program score?
A score of 69/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of Massachusetts-Amherst trails the majority of Chemical Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
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.