Chemistry at Mount Vernon Nazarene University

A $27,000 debt load for a chemistry bachelor's degree falls right in the middle of what's typical—the national median is $24,000—and Ohio chemistry programs generally produce similar borrowing levels. What matters more is whether this path leads somewhere, and based on comparable Ohio programs, first-year earnings around $43,000 put graduates near both state and national benchmarks. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62 suggests manageable repayment: less than two-thirds of first-year income. That's reasonable, though not exceptional.

Chemistry degrees typically open doors to lab work, quality control positions, or graduate school—fields where credentials matter as much as where you earned them. The challenge here is uncertainty: these estimates come from peer programs across Ohio because Mount Vernon's graduate sample is too small for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes. Larger Ohio schools like Cleveland State and Cincinnati report first-year earnings in the $47,000-$48,000 range, which might reflect stronger industry connections or regional advantages near major employers.

The fundamentals suggest this program won't saddle your child with unmanageable debt for a credential that employers recognize. But without actual graduate outcomes, you're betting that Mount Vernon's chemistry grads perform similarly to the state average. If your child is considering graduate school—common in chemistry—this undergraduate debt level leaves room for that next step.