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Senior chemical engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior chemical engineer. Senior chemical engineers usually study chemical engineering, chemistry, or business. 74% of senior chemical engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 299 real senior chemical engineer resumes to see exactly what senior chemical engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior chemical engineers are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online senior chemical engineer courses to help get the education required to be a senior chemical engineer.
There are certain senior chemical engineer certifications that you should consider. These senior chemical engineer certifications include Certified Chemical Engineer (CCE) and Six Sigma Green Belt.
What education do you need to become a senior chemical engineer?
What degree do you need to be a senior chemical engineer?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Master's, 16%
- Doctorate, 7%
- Associate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a senior chemical engineer?
- Chemical Engineering, 71%
- Chemistry, 9%
- Business, 5%
- Other Majors, 13%
Most common colleges for senior chemical engineers
| Senior chemical engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 7.94% |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 6.35% |
| Michigan Technological University | 4.76% |
| University of Connecticut | 4.76% |
| Washington State University | 4.76% |
Best majors for senior chemical engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemical Engineering | 70.8% |
| 2 | Chemistry | 8.8% |
| 3 | Business | 4.6% |
| 4 | Plastics Engineering | 1.7% |
| 5 | Mechanical Engineering | 1.7% |
Best colleges for senior chemical engineers
The best colleges for senior chemical engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A senior chemical engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior chemical engineers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become senior chemical engineers.
1. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
2. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
3. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
4. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$49,042
Enrollment
5,131
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
6. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
In-state tuition
$15,374
Enrollment
19,564
7. Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$52,202
Enrollment
3,420
8. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,620
Enrollment
27,730
9. New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$17,338
Enrollment
7,820
10. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$14,974
Enrollment
35,656
20 best online courses for senior chemical engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior chemical engineers
The most affordable schools for senior chemical engineers are Brigham Young University, purdue university, and new mexico institute of mining and technology.
If the best universities for senior chemical engineers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for senior chemical engineers.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
2. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
3. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Cost of attendance
28,501
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Cost of attendance
24,514
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior chemical engineers
The hardest universities for senior chemical engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for senior chemical engineers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for senior chemical engineers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
6. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,503
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
10. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior chemical engineers
The easiest schools for senior chemical engineers to get into are Cleveland State University, western michigan university, and university of wisconsin - stevens point.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior chemical engineer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for senior chemical engineers.
1. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
2. Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,107
3. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Stevens Point, WI • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,120
4. Pace University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
76%
SAT average
1,154
5. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
6. University of Wisconsin - Stout
Menomonie, WI • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,135
7. University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,202
8. Wayne State University
Detroit, MI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,127
9. Widener University
Chester, PA • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,115
10. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
Admissions rate
55%
SAT average
1,143
Average senior chemical engineer salary by education level
| Senior chemical engineer education level | Senior chemical engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $106,726 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $98,835 |
Senior chemical engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025