Chemistry at University of Mary Washington

Similar chemistry programs across Virginia suggest first-year earnings around $39,000 for this bachelor's degree—a figure that lags behind both the national median of $42,600 and what graduates earn from Virginia's flagship programs. George Mason and Virginia Tech chemistry majors, for instance, start around $45,000 to $50,000, creating a roughly $10,000 annual gap that compounds significantly over a career.

The $21,739 debt load sits slightly below both state and national medians for chemistry degrees, which helps offset the earnings concern. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56, graduates would dedicate just over half their first-year income to total debt—manageable compared to many programs, though the lower starting salary means less disposable income in absolute terms. The chemistry degree's value traditionally comes from graduate school pathways or specialized industry roles, so these first-year figures may not capture the full earning trajectory.

For parents evaluating this investment, the key question is whether Mary Washington offers specific advantages—research opportunities, faculty mentorship, graduate school placement rates—that justify potentially earning $6,000 to $11,000 less annually than peers at Virginia's research universities. If your child plans to pursue graduate education or values smaller class sizes over immediate earning power, the debt burden here won't be crushing. But if maximizing early career earnings matters, the peer program data suggests looking at Virginia's larger public universities where chemistry graduates consistently clear $45,000 in their first year.