Chemical Engineeringat Virginia Commonwealth University
Graduates earn $79,721/yr in their first year — about 10.0% above the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $824K; scenarios range from $715K to $859K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Virginia Commonwealth University
First-year earnings of $79,721 at Virginia Commonwealth University come in 10% above the national median of $72,288 for Chemical Engineering programs.
The 12.5x 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.
With first-year pay of $79,721 far exceeding the $27,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
At #82 out of 158 programs, Virginia Commonwealth University's financial outcomes for Chemical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
Earnings growth is modest: $79,721 to $91,990 over five years (15% gain). This field may have a lower salary ceiling than high-growth professions.
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 Virginia Commonwealth University'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 Virginia Commonwealth University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Virginia Commonwealth University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Virginia Commonwealth University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University
How does Virginia Commonwealth University's Chemical Engineering program score?
A score of 70/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Virginia Commonwealth University 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.