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Chemical Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

If you plan to study Chemical Engineering, take a look at what Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. We’ve gathered the following information to help you decide.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University sits in Blacksburg, VA.

During the most recent reporting year, 89 chemical engineering graduations were recorded at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Online Class Availability at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Online coursework is an option at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Among 38,857 students, 1,577 (4%) were enrolled entirely in distance education and 19,313 (50%) took at least some classes online.

Chemical Engineering Rankings at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Use these rankings to compare Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University’s Chemical Engineering program against peer institutions.

Master’s-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	Virginia	#2 of 3
Best Value	Virginia	#3 of 3
Best Schools (Quality)	Southeast (Region)	#9 of 31
Best Value	Southeast (Region)	#27 of 31
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#51 of 159
Best Value	Nationwide	#117 of 159

Doctoral-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	Virginia	#2 of 3
Best Value	Virginia	#3 of 3
Best Schools (Quality)	Southeast (Region)	#9 of 31
Best Value	Southeast (Region)	#27 of 31
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#51 of 159
Best Value	Nationwide	#117 of 159

Earnings for Chemical Engineering Graduates from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University’s Chemical Engineering program earn the following amounts (per the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard):

Years After Graduation	Median Earnings
1 year	$72,805
2 years	$73,272
3 years	$82,738
4 years	$89,909
5 years	$99,194

How do these earnings stack up against the rest of the school? Four years after graduating, Chemical Engineering graduates from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University take home a median $89,909, compared with $77,896 for all Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University graduates — about 15% higher than the school-wide median.

Median Debt at Graduation

The median debt for Chemical Engineering graduates from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is $25,350.

Student Demographics & Diversity

The following sections describe the composition of Chemical Engineering graduates at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, by degree type.

Program-wide, Chemical Engineering graduates at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University are 33% women (29) and 67% men (60).

Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Among the 78 bachelor’s chemical engineering degrees awarded at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 33% were women (26) and 67% were men (52).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Chemical Engineering bachelor’s degree recipients at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	46
Hispanic / Latino	9
Black / African American	4
Asian	10
Two or More Races	5
International (Nonresident)	2
Unknown	2

Minority students account for 36% of Chemical Engineering bachelor’s degree recipients at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, higher than the national average of 34%.*

Chemical Engineering Master’s Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Of the 3 master’s chemical engineering degrees awarded at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 33% were women (1) and 67% were men (2).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Chemical Engineering master’s degree recipients at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
Black / African American	1
International (Nonresident)	2

Minority students account for 33% of Chemical Engineering master’s degree recipients at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, higher than the national average of 22%.*

Chemical Engineering Doctoral Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Of the 8 doctoral chemical engineering degrees awarded at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 25% were women (2) and 75% were men (6).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Chemical Engineering doctoral degree recipients at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	3
International (Nonresident)	5

*The racial-ethnic minorities figure is the total number of graduates minus White, international (nonresident), and unknown-race graduates.

More Specific Chemical Engineering Concentrations at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

This Chemical Engineering program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University breaks down into more specific concentrations:

Concentration	Graduates
General Chemical Engineering	89

Highest-Paying Careers for Chemical Engineering Graduates

Graduates of the Chemical Engineering program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University pursue many career paths. Below are the best-paid careers for Chemical Engineering graduates, ordered by median annual salary:

Occupation	Nationwide Median Wage
Engineers, All Other	$136,628
Chemical Engineers	$130,903
Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers	$121,651
Solar Energy Systems Engineers	$116,775
Mechatronics Engineers	$115,569
Microsystems Engineers	$104,558
Architectural and Engineering Managers	$101,277
Wind Energy Engineers	$98,460
Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers	$89,263
Photonics Engineers	$84,667

References

• IPEDS — Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
• U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard
• O*NET Online (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• National Center for Education Statistics

More about our data sources and methodologies.