Best Chemical Engineering colleges in the U.S. 2026

As a Chemical Engineering student, you'll learn how to turn raw materials into everyday useful products. Have you ever been curious about how certain materials are made, or how some cars run smoother than others? Or maybe you've always thought about creating a device or method to help provide clean water to the entire world.

Chemical engineering is a very useful and rewarding career path to follow. Career options in chemical engineering include work in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, design, construction, petrochemicals, biotechnology, safety, and much more.

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Best Chemical Engineering colleges in the U.S. for 2026

Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers 3 Chemical Engineering degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2024, 91 Chemical Engineering students graduated with students earning 33 Doctoral degrees, 32 Bachelor's degrees, and 26 Master's degrees.

Cornell University
Ithaca, NY

Cornell University offers 3 Chemical Engineering degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2024, 86 Chemical Engineering students graduated with students earning 40 Master's degrees, 35 Bachelor's degrees, and 11 Doctoral degrees.

Stanford University
Stanford, CA
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Stanford University offers 4 Chemical Engineering degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2024, 62 Chemical Engineering students graduated with students earning 33 Master's degrees, 18 Doctoral degrees, and 11 Bachelor's degrees.

Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD

Johns Hopkins University offers 3 Chemical Engineering degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2024, 148 Chemical Engineering students graduated with students earning 64 Bachelor's degrees, 50 Master's degrees, and 34 Doctoral degrees.

University of California-Berkeley offers 3 Chemical Engineering degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2024, 179 Chemical Engineering students graduated with students earning 120 Bachelor's degrees, 33 Master's degrees, and 26 Doctoral degrees.

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Northwestern University offers 3 Chemical Engineering degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2024, 65 Chemical Engineering students graduated with students earning 28 Bachelor's degrees, 20 Master's degrees, and 17 Doctoral degrees.

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Columbia University in the City of New York offers 4 Chemical Engineering degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2024, 157 Chemical Engineering students graduated with students earning 122 Master's degrees, 14 Bachelor's degrees, 11 Certificates, and 10 Doctoral degrees.

Carnegie Mellon University offers 4 Chemical Engineering degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2024, 97 Chemical Engineering students graduated with students earning 51 Bachelor's degrees, 29 Master's degrees, and 17 Doctoral degrees.

University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN

University of Notre Dame offers 3 Chemical Engineering degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2024, 85 Chemical Engineering students graduated with students earning 61 Bachelor's degrees, 14 Doctoral degrees, and 10 Master's degrees.

Rice University
Houston, TX

Rice University offers 3 Chemical Engineering degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2024, 62 Chemical Engineering students graduated with students earning 22 Bachelor's degrees, 21 Doctoral degrees, and 19 Master's degrees.

What is Chemical Engineering?

Chemical engineers use chemistry, physics, biology, and math to solve problems surrounding many products, such as chemicals, drugs, food, and fuel. 

Some areas a chemical engineer may work in include:

  • Disease treatment
  • Cleaning water
  • Energy generation
  • Biomedicine
  • Food production

List of all Chemical Engineering colleges in the U.S.

School Average Tuition Student Teacher Ratio Enrolled Students
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Logo Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA
5/5
9 : 1 11,886
Cornell University Logo Cornell University Ithaca, NY
5/5
13 : 1 26,793
Stanford University Logo Stanford University Stanford, CA
5/5
12 : 1 18,625
Johns Hopkins University Logo Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
5/5
20 : 1 30,210
University of California-Berkeley Logo University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA
4/5
23 : 1 45,882