Chemical Engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering

These numbers demand a second look before committing to this program. Milwaukee School of Engineering's chemical engineering graduates earn roughly $55,000 annually—about $29,000 less than Wisconsin's median for chemical engineering majors and nearly $18,000 below the national median. More troubling, this places MSOE in the bottom 10% of both Wisconsin and national chemical engineering programs, far behind UW-Madison and UW-Stevens Point graduates who earn over $84,000. There's also no earnings growth visible between years one and four, while most engineering careers show significant salary progression during this period.

The $27,000 debt load is reasonable at face value, but context matters: you're paying slightly above-average debt for bottom-tier outcomes in a field known for strong salaries. At a 60% admission rate, MSOE isn't particularly selective, which might partly explain the outcome gap. The critical caveat here is sample size—with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these figures could reflect statistical noise rather than program quality. Perhaps most graduates work in different industries or locations that skew the data.

Before paying for this program, parents should directly ask MSOE's engineering department about these specific numbers. Request placement data, typical employers, and explanations for the earnings gap compared to Wisconsin's other programs. If these figures are accurate and representative, the in-state public options appear to deliver substantially better returns.