Program Analysis
At $57,540 per year, Chemical Engineering graduates from University of California-Irvine earn below the $72,288 national average. Lower costs or geographic factors may offset the earnings gap.
The 17.7x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 48% task exposure — and the 20% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
The median debt load of $18,250 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
At #84 out of 158 programs, University of California-Irvine's financial outcomes for Chemical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
Earnings growth from $57,540 to $102,280 over five years (78% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.