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Troy, NY · Chemical engineering

Chemical engineering at RPI

RPI graduates about 62 chemical engineering majors a year, 4% of its graduating class. That puts it 39th of 163 schools we score for chemical engineering, a strong program at 71 out of 100. Graduates in the major earn a median $99,000 four years out, about the national figure for the same major. Research spending in the field runs about $11 million a year, a rough guide to how many labs and projects undergraduates can join.

71/100Strong#39 of 163 for chemical engineering →
Graduates a year624% of the class
Median pay 4 years out$99,0001.01× the same major nationally
Research in the field$11Ma year, NSF
Admit rate63%whole school
SAT middle 50%1380–1500whole school

Around RPI

E. Fred Schubert at RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) in Troy NY during the
2023-May--IMG 8177--EFS--SQ-04Photo: Judy246 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Russell Sage Dining Hall from a distance at night
Russell Sage Dining Hall Far Away at NightPhoto: RPI2026F1 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
RPI Walk Over Bridge Far Away at Night
RPI Walk Over Bridge Far Away at NightPhoto: RPI2026F1 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
A picture of the Mueller Center at RPI
RPI Mueller Center 07Photo: RPI2026F1 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Where chemical engineering happens

Buildings on campus that fit the field: Russell Sage Laboratory, Walker Laboratory, Rensselaer Society of Engineers, Cogswell Laboratory, J Erik Jonsson Engineering Center.

Named buildings on the campus map: Academic 42 · Dorm 17 · Athletics 5 · Dining 4 · Chapel 1 · Library 1.

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Nearby in the chemical engineering ranking

  1. University of Virginia 73
  2. University of Massachusetts–Amherst 72
  3. University of California, Santa Barbara 72
  4. Yale University 71
  5. University of Chicago 70
  6. Michigan State University 70
  7. University of Minnesota–Twin Cities 69
  8. University of Southern California 69

Other strong majors at RPI

How the score works

The score is out of 100 and compares RPI with every school we score in chemical engineering. It weighs what graduates earn four years out against the same major nationally (25%), research spending in the field (20%, NSF), how many undergraduate courses the department lists (20%), the student body's test scores (20%) and the size of the program (15%, capped so size alone can't win). 80+ is a standout program, 65+ strong, 45+ solid. Sources: US Department of Education (College Scorecard, IPEDS), NSF HERD, each school's current course catalog, OpenStreetMap and Wikimedia Commons.

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