Chemical Engineering at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

New Mexico Tech's chemical engineering program shows surprisingly modest outcomes for an engineering degree. At $57,215 one year after graduation, graduates earn about $15,700 less than the national median for chemical engineers and even trail the New Mexico median by $5,700. To put this in sharper perspective: New Mexico State's chemical engineering graduates earn $18,500 more in their first year—a substantial gap between two in-state options.

The bright spot is the debt load. At $14,250, graduates leave with roughly 40% less debt than typical chemical engineering students nationally, and the resulting debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.25 means the degree remains affordable to repay. Still, low debt doesn't fully compensate when peers at New Mexico State are earning an extra $18,500 annually while carrying similar debt levels.

The critical caveat here: this data comes from fewer than 30 recent graduates, so these numbers could swing significantly year to year. If your child is committed to chemical engineering in New Mexico and prefers Tech's smaller environment, the manageable debt makes this workable. But if maximizing engineering earnings matters, New Mexico State's track record suggests it's the stronger bet—same in-state tuition, substantially higher returns.