Chemistry at Portland State University

Portland State's chemistry program shows a concerning start but meaningful recovery—though you should weigh these numbers carefully given the small sample size. First-year graduates earn $35,395, which places this program in just the 25th percentile among Oregon chemistry programs and well below both the state median of $41,779 and the national benchmark of $42,581. That's a significant gap when Oregon State graduates from the same program are entering the workforce at nearly $7,000 more annually.

The debt load of $24,773 sits close to national norms, but paired with those low initial earnings, new graduates face a debt-to-income ratio of 0.70—manageable but tighter than ideal for a STEM field. The 55% earnings jump to $54,740 by year four offers some reassurance that chemistry skills eventually command better wages, though this could reflect career changes or graduate degrees rather than the bachelor's degree alone.

Here's what matters for your family: if your student plans to work immediately after graduation in chemistry-related roles, they'll likely start behind peers from Oregon State despite paying similar tuition as an in-state student. The small sample size means these numbers could shift dramatically year to year, making this program harder to evaluate reliably. For a chemistry degree with more predictable outcomes, the data suggests looking at Oregon State's established program unless Portland State offers specific research opportunities or location advantages worth that initial earnings trade-off.