Chemical Engineering at University of New Haven

The $27,000 debt load here ranks exceptionally well—putting graduates in the 5th percentile nationally means 95% of chemical engineering programs saddle students with more debt. Combined with estimated first-year earnings around $68,000 based on Connecticut's chemical engineering programs, that creates a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.4. For context, the state's handful of chemical engineering programs all cluster around this same $68,000 earnings figure, suggesting consistency across Connecticut institutions regardless of selectivity.

The gap to watch is national: peer programs across the country typically produce median earnings near $73,000, about $5,000 higher than Connecticut's state average. Whether this reflects Connecticut's market dynamics, the specific industries graduates enter, or just noise from a small sample is unclear. What matters practically is that chemical engineering remains a reliably employable major, and University of New Haven's graduates—while lacking program-specific data—appear positioned similarly to their in-state peers while carrying notably less debt than most.

For a family considering this program, the low debt is the clearest advantage. The earnings picture requires acknowledging uncertainty—these are estimates from comparable Connecticut programs, not verified outcomes from UNH specifically. But chemical engineering's strong employment track record combined with below-average debt makes this a relatively low-risk investment, particularly if your student prefers a mid-sized university environment over UConn's larger campuses.