Chemical Engineering at University of California-Irvine

UC Irvine's chemical engineering graduates start behind their peers—significantly. That $57,540 first-year salary trails the national median by over $15,000 and sits in just the 5th percentile nationally. Among California's 14 chemical engineering programs, this ranks only at the 25th percentile, well behind UC Berkeley ($81,553), UCLA ($76,680), and even Cal Poly Pomona ($69,009).

The silver lining is genuine momentum: earnings jump 44% by year four to $82,714, surpassing most state competitors. Combined with below-average debt of $18,500 (the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.32 is quite manageable), graduates who stick with the field can recover from that slow start. But that first year matters—for apartment deposits, loan payments, and career confidence. The moderate sample size (30-100 graduates) suggests these numbers are reasonably reliable, though not definitive.

For an anxious parent, the question is whether your child can weather those lean early years. If they're heading straight to graduate school or have family support to bridge the gap, the long-term trajectory looks solid. But if they need that first paycheck to cover living expenses and start repayment immediately, stronger-launching programs exist—including several within the UC system. This isn't a bad outcome, but it's notably weaker than what UC Irvine's selectivity (26% admission rate) might suggest.