Chemistry at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus

The debt-to-earnings picture for Fairleigh Dickinson's chemistry bachelor's suggests a manageable financial start, though you're betting on estimates rather than this program's proven track record. Similar chemistry programs in New Jersey point to first-year earnings around $45,000, with debt near $25,000—a ratio of 0.56 that means roughly half a year's salary to repay loans. That's reasonable for a STEM degree, but the lack of actual graduate data for this specific program means you can't know if FDU's chemistry students are doing better or worse than the state average.

The context matters here: New Jersey chemistry programs show a wide range of outcomes, with top performers like Montclair State and Rowan reporting first-year earnings above $53,000—nearly $10,000 more than what comparable programs suggest for FDU. The school's 96% admission rate indicates minimal selectivity, which can correlate with weaker graduate outcomes, though chemistry as a major tends to hold its value better than many fields. At 22% Pell enrollment, this isn't primarily serving low-income students who might struggle most with debt.

If your child is choosing between chemistry programs in New Jersey, push for schools with documented outcomes showing stronger earnings. If FDU is the choice for location or other compelling reasons, understand you're accepting uncertainty about whether graduates actually achieve that $45,000 benchmark—and banking on chemistry's generally solid fundamentals to carry the degree's value.