Chemistry at Lee University

A chemistry degree from Lee University appears to track closely with what you'd expect from similar programs in Tennessee—first-year earnings around $41,589 and roughly $25,000 in debt at graduation. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60 sits in reasonable territory, meaning graduates would dedicate about 60% of their first-year salary to loans if they paid them off immediately (though real repayment stretches over years).

The challenge here is uncertainty. Because Lee's graduate numbers are too small for the Department of Education to publish actual outcomes, these figures come from peer chemistry programs across Tennessee and the nation. The state's chemistry programs show considerable range—from nearly $42,500 at Austin Peay down to under $37,000 at Memphis—which means Lee could reasonably fall anywhere in that spread. The estimated debt also runs about $5,000 above Tennessee's typical chemistry program debt of $20,104, though it's nearly identical to the national median.

For an anxious parent, the practical question is whether you're comfortable making a $25,000 investment without knowing where Lee's specific outcomes land within Tennessee's range. If your student is set on Lee for other reasons—faith mission, campus culture, specific faculty—the financial picture isn't alarming enough to be a dealbreaker. But if chemistry programs at UT-Knoxville or Austin Peay offer similar appeal, those schools have documented track records showing solid early earnings with potentially less debt.