Chemistry at Texas Southern University

The $20,791 in estimated debt here looks manageable against chemistry bachelor's earnings—about six months of gross income based on what similar Texas programs produce. That's a reasonable debt burden, particularly at a school where 71% of students receive Pell grants and where accessible STEM education serves a population that might otherwise face barriers to entry in the sciences.

The challenge becomes clearer when you look at the earnings picture. Based on peer programs statewide, first-year chemistry graduates typically earn around $41,800—right at the state median but notably behind what the flagship universities produce. Houston's $50,717 and Texas A&M's $49,462 suggest that top programs in the state deliver 20% higher starting salaries. For a field where lab skills, research opportunities, and employer networks matter significantly, those gaps aren't trivial.

What this means practically: your child would enter the workforce with debt they could reasonably manage, but they'd be starting from a lower baseline than graduates from more selective programs. The 93% admission rate and lower average test scores suggest Texas Southern serves students who may need more support, which is valuable—but it also means the competitive positioning for entry-level chemistry jobs could be tougher. If graduate school is the goal, undergraduate research opportunities and faculty connections become critical factors to investigate directly with the department.