Chemistry of success
LSU boasts one of the nation’s top chemical engineering programs, and the ranking appears to pay off. Five years after graduation, LSU chemical engineering majors earned a median income of 114,226—the third-highest in the SEC, behind only Vanderbilt ($121,461) and the University of Texas at Austin ($115,423).
RedEye’s analysis is based on federal earnings data from 2017–18 and 2018–19 compiled by the HEA Group, a higher education research firm. The New York Times has made the data searchable, allowing you to compare earnings by major and university.
A college education should be about learning and exploring, but there has been a growing emphasis on how degrees translate into jobs and earnings. And for parents raising math prodigies, take note: Duke University mathematics graduates earned $297,097—the highest median income of any degree program in the nation.
- LSU top 5 median salaries by degrees (five years after graduation)
- Chemical engineering - $114, 226
- Computer engineering - $106,897
- Petroleum engineering - $103,421
- Mechanical engineering - $99,975
- Electrical engineering - $97,208
Southern University top 5 median salaries by degrees:
- Mechanical Engineering - $92,969
- Nursing - $86,838
- Civil engineering - $68,016
- Computer Science - $58,951
- Marketing - $56,097