Chemical Engineering at Syracuse University

Syracuse's chemical engineering graduates start at $72,864—essentially matching both national and New York state medians—but trail the state's top programs by a meaningful margin. Cornell graduates earn $13,000 more in their first year, and even RPI and Clarkson command notably higher starting salaries. For a program at a selective private university with a $1,351 SAT average, landing at the 40th percentile among New York competitors is underwhelming.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $27,000, it's manageable relative to first-year earnings (0.37 ratio), and graduates see solid 26% earnings growth by year four. However, these numbers come from fewer than 30 graduates, so they're susceptible to volatility and may not represent typical outcomes. Chemical engineering programs generally produce consistent results, but this small cohort makes it hard to distinguish program quality from statistical noise.

For families paying Syracuse's private tuition, this becomes a question of whether the broader university experience justifies the premium when SUNY schools likely offer similar engineering outcomes at significantly lower cost. If your child is certain about chemical engineering, the in-state flagship or schools ranking higher in New York's engineering hierarchy might deliver better return on investment.