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Engineering · Chemical Engineering Rank #77 of 158

Chemical Engineeringat University of Missouri-Columbia

Graduates earn $69,950/yr in their first year — about 3.0% below the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $838K; scenarios range from $726K to $876K depending on AI disruption.

Columbia, MO Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
70 STRONG
71
Optimistic
68
Pessimistic
Earnings
$69,950
1-year post-graduation
ROI
15.2x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$838K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Missouri

At $69,950/yr, Chemical Engineering graduates from University of Missouri-Columbia land near the $72,288 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.

The 14.8x 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 17% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The median debt load of $25,804 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

Ranked #77 out of 158 programs, University of Missouri-Columbia's Chemical Engineering offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $69,950 to $91,298 shows 31% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

AI Outlook Integration

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.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$726K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score68/100
Earnings Multiple12.8x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$838K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score70/100
Earnings Multiple14.8x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$876K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score71/100
Earnings Multiple15.5x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Missouri's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Chemical Engineering graduates typically work

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.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Chemical engineers
+2.6% 10-yr growth · 1,100 openings/yr
$121,860/yr
Moderate
3
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
4
Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
+5.2% 10-yr growth · 1,300 openings/yr
$106,950/yr
High
5
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Chemical Engineering

How University of Missouri stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Rice University
TX · Private nonprofit
64
DW Score
$88K
1-yr earn
4.1x
ROI
The University of Texas at Austin
TX · Public
76
DW Score
$87K
1-yr earn
22.7x
ROI
Top score
Lamar University
TX · Public
77
DW Score
$87K
1-yr earn
30.8x
ROI
University of Florida
FL · Public
77
DW Score
$87K
1-yr earn
40.0x
ROI
Texas A & M University-College Station
TX · Public
76
DW Score
$86K
1-yr earn
22.6x
ROI
Also at University of Missouri

Other top programs at University of Missouri

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Missouri, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at University of Missouri

How does University of Missouri-Columbia's Chemical Engineering program score?

A score of 70/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. University of Missouri-Columbia'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.