Chemistry at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

The debt load here tells an encouraging story: $21,500 is well below both the state median ($25,250) and national median ($24,000) for chemistry bachelor's programs, making this one of the more affordable options among Michigan's 31 chemistry programs. The challenge lies in the earnings picture. Based on comparable Michigan chemistry programs, first-year earnings around $40,000 place UMich graduates below what students earn at several less selective state schools—Grand Valley State and Eastern Michigan both report outcomes above $45,000, while even Michigan State sits right around this estimate.

That gap matters more than it might initially appear. Chemistry graduates from peer programs across Michigan show significant variation in outcomes, and UMich's 18% admission rate and 1473 average SAT suggest students here could likely gain admission to those higher-earning alternatives. The 0.54 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't alarming—you'd pay off the debt in roughly half a year of gross earnings—but it doesn't explain why a more selective program appears to underperform less competitive options in early career returns. Chemistry students often pursue graduate degrees or lab positions that build slowly toward higher compensation, which could explain the gap, but without actual program-specific data, you're relying on assumptions rather than evidence about where UMich chemistry grads actually land.