Chemical Engineeringat Widener University
Graduates earn $71,160/yr in their first year — about 2.0% below the national Chemical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $912K; scenarios range from $780K to $957K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Widener University
First-year earnings of $71,160 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 4.3x 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 18% gap from the optimistic case.
At $27,000 in median debt against $71,160 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
Ranked #139 of 158 Chemical Engineering programs, Widener University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Earnings grow from $71,160 to $99,021 over five years — a 39% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career 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 Widener 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 Widener University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Widener University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Widener University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Chemical Engineering at Widener University
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Chemical Engineering at Widener University?
This program scores 60/100 — 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 $780,421 in decade earnings vs $957,220 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.