Chemical Engineeringat University of South Carolina-Columbia
Graduates earn $75,680/yr in their first year — about 5.0% above the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $907K; scenarios range from $777K to $952K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of South Carolina
At $75,680/yr, Chemical Engineering graduates from University of South Carolina-Columbia land near the $72,288 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.
The 17.9x 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.
The median debt load of $26,241 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
Ranked #43 out of 158 programs, University of South Carolina-Columbia's Chemical Engineering offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $75,680 to $99,912 shows 32% 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 South Carolina'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 South Carolina stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of South Carolina
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of South Carolina, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at University of South Carolina
How does University of South Carolina-Columbia's Chemical Engineering program score?
A score of 73/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. University of South Carolina-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.