Chemical Engineering at Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View A&M's chemical engineering program starts graduates significantly behind their Texas peers—with first-year earnings of $58,627 compared to the state median of $85,322. That's a $27,000 gap that persists even four years out, when graduates earn $86,785 (just reaching the median starting salary at programs like UT Austin and Texas A&M). Among Texas chemical engineering programs, this ranks in the 10th percentile, meaning nine out of ten alternatives in the state deliver better early returns.

The concerning part isn't just the slower start—it's that you're paying above-market debt for below-market outcomes. At $33,000, the debt burden sits well above both Texas ($20,010) and national ($23,250) medians for this major. The 48% earnings growth from year one to year four suggests graduates eventually catch up, but spending those early career years digging out from higher debt while earning less diminishes the financial advantage that typically comes with an engineering degree.

For families considering this program, the math is straightforward: your child will likely graduate with $10,000+ more debt than peers at other Texas schools while earning $25,000+ less in their first job. Unless there are compelling non-financial reasons to choose Prairie View (location, campus culture, HBCU experience), other Texas chemical engineering programs offer substantially better economic outcomes from day one.