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Engineering · Chemical Engineering Rank #143 of 158

Chemical Engineeringat Villanova University

Graduates earn $72,379/yr in their first year — right at the national average. Base-case 10-year earnings $928K; scenarios range from $792K to $975K depending on AI disruption.

Villanova, PA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
59 SOLID
60
Optimistic
56
Pessimistic
Earnings
$72,379
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.9x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$928K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Villanova University

First-year earnings of $72,379 track close to the $72,288 national median for Chemical Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

An earnings multiple of 3.6x means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition, but not by a dramatic margin. Returns are positive but modest.

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 19% gap from the optimistic case.

At $27,000 in median debt against $72,379 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

Ranked #143 of 158 Chemical Engineering programs, Villanova University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

Earnings grow from $72,379 to $100,946 over five years — a 39% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career 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
$792K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score56/100
Earnings Multiple3.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$928K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple3.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$975K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score60/100
Earnings Multiple3.8x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Villanova University'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 Villanova University 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 Villanova University

Other top programs at Villanova University

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

FAQ

Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at Villanova University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Chemical Engineering at Villanova University?

This program scores 59/100 — a respectable number in isolation, but it ranks in the bottom half of Chemical Engineering programs nationally. The field is competitive, and stronger options exist.

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 $791,998 in decade earnings vs $974,665 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.