Chemical Engineering at University of California-San Diego

UC San Diego's chemical engineering program starts graduates lower than you'd expect from a selective UC campus, but what happens next tells a different story. First-year earnings of $59,508 trail the national median by nearly $13,000 and rank in just the 5th percentile nationally—unusually low for a program at a school with a 25% admission rate. However, by year four, graduates reach $85,181, surpassing not just the California median but also several peer UCs including Davis and Pomona, suggesting many grads land in research or technical roles that reward experience.

The debt picture is considerably more favorable. At $18,157, it's actually below California's median for chemical engineering programs, giving graduates a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31. This means even with that modest first-year salary, graduates owe less than a third of their starting earnings—reasonable breathing room while careers accelerate. Within California's 14 chemical engineering programs, this places in the 40th percentile for earnings, which is middle-of-the-pack but paired with below-median debt.

The question is whether your family can weather that slower start. If your student needs to immediately service debt or support themselves, that $59,508 first-year salary may feel tight in San Diego's expensive market. But for families who can provide a runway, the 43% earnings growth suggests the UC San Diego degree opens doors that pay off with time—just not as quickly as Berkeley or UCLA grads experience.