Chemistry at Boise State University

A debt load of $25,623 for a bachelor's in chemistry lands squarely in the middle nationally—neither particularly light nor burdensome—but the earnings trajectory tells a more interesting story. While the first-year figure of roughly $43,000 comes from national peer programs (Boise State's graduate sample was too small for the Department of Education to report), the four-year earnings of $62,749 are actual outcomes for this program's graduates. That 47% jump suggests chemistry majors who stick it out in STEM fields see meaningful salary growth, pushing the debt-to-earnings ratio from a reasonable 0.60 down to about 0.41 by year four.

The key question is whether your student will land in a role that uses their chemistry training. Those who pursue lab work, quality control positions, or continue to graduate school typically see stronger returns than those who pivot to unrelated fields. Idaho's chemistry market appears slightly softer than the national average based on University of Idaho's outcomes, so students might need to be geographically flexible or willing to work in industries like semiconductor manufacturing or food science that have a presence in the region. The debt here won't handcuff your graduate, but the four-year earnings suggest the real payoff comes from staying in technical roles rather than treating this as a general science degree.