Chemistry at La Roche University

La Roche's chemistry program shows first-year earnings nearly $9,000 below Pennsylvania's median for chemistry degrees and roughly $8,000 under the national average. Among Pennsylvania's 73 chemistry programs, this lands in just the 25th percentile—meaning three-quarters of comparable in-state programs report higher graduate earnings. For context, chemistry majors at Millersville and Drexel start nearly $15,000 higher. The debt load of roughly $26,000 is actually slightly below state norms, but when paired with below-average earnings, the 0.74 debt-to-earnings ratio becomes concerning—graduates are carrying debt equivalent to nearly nine months of their first-year salary.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly year-to-year, but the pattern is troubling enough to warrant serious consideration. Chemistry is typically a solid STEM field for earnings, making the underperformance relative to both state and national benchmarks particularly noteworthy. The relatively low percentage of Pell Grant recipients (14%) suggests this isn't primarily serving lower-income students who might face different employment constraints.

If your student is set on chemistry and considering Pennsylvania schools, the data suggests looking at public universities like Millersville or the University of Pittsburgh system, where chemistry graduates consistently earn $8,000-$16,000 more in their first year. That earnings difference matters substantially when you're servicing student loans.