Chemistry at Roger Williams University

A debt load of roughly $25,000 for a bachelor's in chemistry at Roger Williams sits above both the national median ($24,000) and well above Rhode Island's typical debt for this degree ($13,867). When national chemistry programs typically produce first-year earnings around $42,600, that debt level translates to a manageable 0.59 ratio—meaning less than seven months of pre-tax income to cover the full amount borrowed. Rhode Island College's chemistry graduates earn slightly more ($44,648) with significantly less debt, but Roger Williams' figures still land in reasonable territory compared to the national landscape where chemistry programs span from strong outcomes to concerning ones.

The challenge here is uncertainty: both the earnings and debt figures are estimates drawn from peer institutions because Roger Williams' chemistry program is too small for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes. The $42,600 earnings estimate comes from 205 national programs, while the debt figure reflects patterns at similar private institutions. That's a lot of extrapolation for a specific investment decision.

If your child is committed to chemistry and Roger Williams offers compelling research opportunities or graduate school preparation that justify the premium over Rhode Island College, the estimated numbers don't scream danger. But with an 88% admission rate and limited outcome data, you're essentially betting that this particular program will perform at least as well as the national average—a bet that costs about $11,000 more in debt than staying in-state would.