Top 20 Online Colleges for Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineering is a deceptively broad field. It is a branch of engineering that deals with chemical production and manufacturing. However, that can be applied in the medical field, in making explosives, textiles, food, cleaning products, and so much more. This type of job typically requires at least a bachelor’s level degree, and obviously, there are additional opportunities for those who go on to study at the graduate levels. Some employers may also require additional state certification as a professional engineer.

Another thing about the field of chemical engineering is that continuing education is incredibly important in order to keep up with the new developments that are always being made. Whether you’re just getting started or you’re one of those professionals that want to advance your education, an online program in chemical engineering is an excellent option for you. These programs are just as comprehensive as their traditional counterparts, but they won’t force you to disrupt your career and home life in order to fit school in.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the field of chemical engineering will grow by 14% through 2031. This is much faster than the average for all other occupations. With an average salary of $105,550 per year and fairly certain job security due to the integral role that chemical engineers play in our everyday lives, this is a great career choice. Also, there are plenty of opportunities for you to get the education you need to get started in this career from anywhere in the world. Chemical engineering degrees online cover several different areas within the field, and you can choose from a variety of reputable schools and programs. The best 20 schools that offer online degrees in chemical engineering are ranked below, according to the following:

Methodology

All different types of chemical engineering programs were taken into account in the creation of this article. All schools were scored out of a possible 200 points. We have scored all of the schools in the United States that offer fully online or hybrid degree programs in chemical engineering according to the following:

• 50%: Freshman Retention Rate and;
• 50%: Graduation Rate

These two rates were added together to get the final score for each institution, and then they were ranked out of 20 based on this score.

We used the school’s websites to gather the information that we used whenever possible. In any case that a school didn’t have the information that we needed on their website, the databases of both U.S. News and World Report and the National Center for Education Statistics were used.

In any instance where two or more schools would have tied for a spot in this Top 20, the alphabetical ordering of their names was used to break the tie. We chose the two ranking criteria, freshman retention, and graduation rate because when both of them are considered, together, they are great at determining a school’s overall quality. However, due to incomplete data, some schools may not be represented here.

To qualify to be included in this ranking, schools must not be for-profit institutions. Additionally, no school was given any preferential treatment and the methodology stated will allow anyone else to draw the same conclusion.

20: University of North Dakota

School Profile
The University of North Dakota is a public space-grant research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was founded back in 1883, which was several years before North Dakota even became a state. Classes began just a year later. The university started expanding but was devastated by the flu epidemic in 1918, then was closed so that the school could be used as an army base during the war. Things didn’t really start to grow and lookup for the institution from there until after the second world war when enrollment finally surpassed 3,000. Today, though, there are a total of 14,648 students. The university is now accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees. UND is made up of ten different colleges and schools and offers 224 different programs of study. UND also offers an interdisciplinary program that allows students to essentially create their own area of study if they’d like.

The University of North Dakota’s online chemical engineering degree is a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. The program has been created specifically to be flexible and not get in the way of your busy lifestyle while you pursue your education; the only time that students will have to travel to campus in during the summer semester for labs, which only run for two weeks. The program consists of 133 credits and typically takes six years or more to complete, but you may be able to finish it sooner because UND will waive some course requirements if you can demonstrate the appropriate knowledge and experience. There are three start dates throughout the year, in the summer, fall, and spring semesters. The classes run on a semester-based schedule but are asynchronous. You will be able to log in at any time of day to complete your work or watch pre-recorded lectures.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 80%
Graduation Rate: 55%
Final Score: 135/200

19: University of Illinois at Chicago

The University of Illinois at Chicago is a public research university, and also has the distinction of being an HSI. HSI stands for Hispanic-serving institution, which is an institution dedicated to serving low-income and first-generation Hispanic students and empowering them to obtain a higher education regardless of their economic situation. UIC is the second school that was created as part of the University of Illinois System, and it is the largest university in the city of Chicago. The campus online spans 244 acres but serves a total of 29,120 students; despite the large student body, the student to faculty ratio is just 18 to one. Students can earn degrees from the bachelor’s to doctoral level through any one of the 15 constituent colleges and schools. The school was officially established in 1965, but the schools that it traces its roots to began as early as 1859. UIC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and also holds more than ten programmatic accreditations. U.S. News & World Report has previously ranked the university among the top 100 public universities in the nation.

The College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago was initially established in 1946. It consists of six departments and operates several research centers and institutes. The online degree that students can earn online at UIC is a Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering. Courses that students will encounter in this program cover topics like microelectronics, renewable energy, transport phenomena, and more. Core classes, you’ll take cover engineering management and engineering law. All of the coursework is to be done online, and any proctored exams that you will be responsible for can be taken at a location near you like a college in your state. Distance education students won’t pay any increased rates or fees based on their location, but they will be responsible for paying any proctoring fees for the exams. There are also a few certificates that you could earn alongside your degree if you so choose.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 80%
Graduation Rate: 58%
Final Score: 138/200

18: University of Massachusetts Lowell

The University of Massachusetts Lowell is a public research university with campuses in Lowell and Haverhill, Massachusetts. It is a member institution of the University of Massachusetts System. UMass Lowell was founded in 1894; there are two institutions that are associated with the creation of the university. The oldest of the two is the Lowell State College, and then there is the Lowell Technological Institute. These two schools merged in 1972 and became the University of Lowell. UMass Lowell joined the UMass system in 1991. This particular branch of the system is home to 17,849 students. Those students can earn degrees at several different certificate levels, as well as the associates through doctoral levels. UMass Lowell is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.

Online options for students at UMass are pretty expansive. For chemical engineering, students can earn a Graduate Certificate in Plastics Engineering Fundamentals. The program is designed for those of you who are already engineering professionals and seeks to provide students with a foundational education in plastics materials, processing, and design that they may not have received as part of their undergraduate education but would be useful to them now. This is a program for someone who is already a professional in the field to expand upon what they know so that they can more efficiently work in their particular position. If you already have a bachelor’s level degree in engineering, you are eligible to enroll in this program. Additionally, any of the courses that you take in pursuit of this certificate can be applied to any of the graduate degree programs available through the university’s Department of Plastics Engineering.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 85%
Graduation Rate: 56%
Final Score: 141/200

17: Kansas State University

Kansas State University is a public land- and space-grant research university headquartered in Manhattan, Kansas. It is often called just KSU, and it is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of Kansas. It was initially founded in 1863 thanks to the Morrill Act, and uniquely, it was the first school to be established as a result of the act which went on to be responsible for colleges in every state. At that time, it was called the Kansas State Agricultural College. Another unique feature of the school is that it has been coeducational since the doors opened in 1863 and was the second college in the country to admit men and women equally. The inaugural class was just 52 students. However, KSU now has a student body of nearly 24,000. KSU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and eight field-specific accrediting bodies. For the past 30 years, the university has ranked first nationally in its total of scholars, including Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, and Udall scholars.

Through the Kansas State University Global Campus, you can earn a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering. The program is provided by KSU’s College of Engineering. The program has been designed for working professionals to advance their education without having to pause their careers. All of the graduate courses leading to graduation of the program can be completed entirely online. Students will only need to visit campus once when they have finished their program to present their oral examination. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology or ABET. There are start dates in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Students have up to six years to complete the program, but it can be completed in less time than that; the typical student only takes one course at a time.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 85%
Graduation Rate: 63%
Final Score: 148/200

16: University of Central Florida

The University of Central Florida is a public space-grant research university in Orlando, Florida. It is the largest university by enrollment on a single campus in the United States with an incredible 64,088 students; all 50 states, Washington DC, and 157 foreign countries are represented in the student body. UCF has over a quarter of a million alumni worldwide. Degrees are offered at the associates, bachelor, master’s, and doctoral levels. The university is divided into 13 schools and colleges and has over 200 degree programs available. U.S. News & World Report currently ranks UCF among the top 100 public universities in the country, and among the top 100 in seven academic areas. Along with being an incredible place to obtain a higher education, the university has also ranked among the top ten universities least likely to leave graduates in debt and has also been ranked by Forbes for its affordability.

The College of Engineering and Computer Science at UCF offers students an online Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering. Tuition for this fully online and self-paced program is less than $400 per credit hour and gives you the choice of a thesis or non-thesis option. Students who select the thesis degree track may have to travel to the Orlando campus to defend their thesis before graduation. There are a variety of fields of emphasis for your research that you can select from. Some of these include ceramics, crystal growth, nano synthesis, and so much more. A program like this will open up career opportunities in product development science, metallurgical engineering, materials production, and consulting, as well as several other great opportunities. This is a 30 credit-hour program and can be taken at either a full-time or part-time pace based on your schedule and lifestyle.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 89%
Graduation Rate: 69%
Final Score: 158/200

15: Clarkson University

Clarkson University is a private research university in Potsdam, New York. The university was founded in 1896 in honor of a man that tragically died while saving the life of another worker in a sandstone quarry. When it first opened, the school was called the Thomas S. Clarkson Memorial School of Technology. It operated under that name until 1913 when it changed to the Thomas S. Clarkson Memorial College of Technology. The name changed one more time before becoming a university, spending several years as Clarkson College of Technology before it was granted university status in 1984. It’s currently accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and offers degrees from the bachelor’s level and up. The university is made up of the Institute for a Sustainable Environment; the School of Arts & Sciences; the School of Business and; the Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering. Across its constituents, Clarkson has 4,384 students.

Clarkson University’s online offering is the first doctoral-level program to be featured here, a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. You can transfer up to 30 credits into the program, which can be completed on a hybrid basis with the majority available online. During your research and for some courses, you will have to travel to campus in New York. You will work with a research advisor from the school and a co-advisor at your workplace will also be selected. As a distance learning student at Clarkson, you will have 24-hour access to your coursework because it is presented asynchronously. It is possible to work full time while you’re completing the program, but it is important to note that some of your courses may require you to participate in synchronous live lectures that are led by instructors.

Freshman Retention Rate: 87%
Graduation Rate: 71%
Final Score: 158/200

14: Illinois Institute of Technology

The Illinois Institute of Technology is a private space-grant research university in Chicago, Illinois. The school traces its roots all the way back to 1890 when a sermon given by Frank Wakely Gunsaulus inspired the foundation of the Armour Institute. It was a professional school with courses in engineering, chemistry, architecture, and library science. The Lewis Institute, founded around that time, offered liberal arts education, science, and engineering courses. The two merged in 1940 to become what is now known as Illinois Tech. Over time, Illinois Tech also joined the Institute of Design, the Chicago-Kent College of Law, the Stuart School of Management and Finance, and the Midwest College of Engineering. Now, the university is divided into five colleges, many of their names paying homage to the past mergers. There are 7,730 students at the university, and it is unique that the majority of them are graduate-level students. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Through its Armour College of Engineering, Illinois Tech offers an online Master of Chemical Engineering. Core courses of the program include Transport Phenomena, Thermodynamics, and Chemical Reaction Engineering. There’s no thesis required for the program, but students can elect to complete a capstone project. All students are required to take a professional course in Intellectual Property Management and Entrepreneurship. This program has a curriculum that’s designed to provide fundamental knowledge in the field of chemical engineering, which is applicable to several different careers or can be a great foundation for further specialization at the doctoral level if that’s what you’d like to do. You can also complete this degree track alongside a Master of Science in Computer Engineering. The majority of the coursework for both programs is available at a distance, but there may be some on-campus requirements in order to complete your degree.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 90%
Graduation Rate: 71%
Final Score: 161/200

13: Auburn University

Auburn University is a public land-, sea-, and space-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. The university was founded in 1856 as the East Alabama Male College, which is what it was known as until 1872. The university went through two more name changes throughout its history before settling on its current title; it was the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama and then the Alabama Polytechnic Institute before. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges. There are thirteen academic divisions of Auburn. These include the College of Agriculture; the College of Architecture, Design and Construction; the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business; the College of Education; the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering; School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences; the College of Human Sciences; the College of Liberal Arts; the College of Sciences and Mathematics; the College of Veterinary Medicine; the Honors College; the School of Nursing; the James Harrison School of Pharmacy, and the Graduate School. There are more than 28,000 students enrolled across them all.

Auburn University offers an online Master of Science in Chemical Engineering. There are no residency requirements associated with earning this degree, so you won’t have to commute to campus for any of your classes. This is a non-thesis degree that focuses on engineering and practice. You are welcome to specialize in surface science, biochemical engineering, thermodynamics, and more. A spectacular feature of this program is that there is no language requirement, either. Students going into this program should be aware that there may be additional undergraduate work to complete in preparation if they have an undergraduate degree in a related field instead of chemical engineering specifically; all chemical undergraduate degrees must have come from a program accredited by the American Chemical Society in order to correctly transfer.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 91%
Graduation Rate: 75%
Final Score: 166/200

12: North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University is a public land-, sea-, and space-grant research university that sits on a campus of over 2,000 acres in Raleigh, North Carolina. It gots its start in 1887 as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. NCSU is part of the University of North Carolina System, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges; it also holds a few programmatic accreditations in different fields. Engineering, statistics, agriculture, life sciences, textiles, and design are the fields that school has the strongest backgrounds in, but there are now 106 undergraduate degree programs and 167 graduate degree programs that students can choose from. It is considered the largest institution in the Carolinas due to its 33,755 students; 35% of students study online. This large university is made up of 11 different academic divisions, and a number of them are nationally recognized for their excellence.

NC State University has an extensive Online and Distance Education Department that offers a range of degrees in engineering and otherwise. The Master of Science in Chemical Engineering has a core curriculum that covers Chemical Reaction Engineering, Thermodynamics, and other important fundamental topics. You can tailor your program to fit into your career goals with electives like biotechnology, environmental science, and electronic materials. There is no thesis required for the completion of this program, which is designed for students that have an undergraduate degree in an engineering discipline and would like to build upon that by adding depth to their chemistry knowledge. Students with a degree in a peripherally related field like physics or other branches of science may qualify with a few extra prerequisite courses. Students are admitted every fall and spring semester.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 93%
Graduation Rate: 77%
Final Score: 170/200

11: Rutgers University

Rutgers University is the common name of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, but it is also shortened to just Rutgers most of the time. Rutgers is a public research university in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and two other campuses in the state. Rutgers is one of the colonial colleges, founded in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest school in the country and almost didn’t come to be. Queen’s College, which was the original name of the university, had to close due to lack of finances and was closed for a majority of the time. It didn’t open for good until 1825, which is when Queen’s became Rutgers. Rutgers was accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in 1921, and officially became a university in 1924. The university is made up of the New Brunswick-Piscataway campus, the Newark campus, and the Camden campus. Incredibly, there are a combined 33 degree-granting colleges and schools spread out across these campuses.

The chemical engineering option online at Rutgers University is a Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering. Biomedical engineering is where biology meets medicine, and people with degrees in this field typically work in pharmaceutical production and research. This field brings together the fields of chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, mathematics, and computer science, and of course biology. This is one of the fastest-growing areas in engineering. The faculty of this program are leaders in the fields of molecular, cellular, and nanosystem bioengineering, biomaterials engineering, neurotechnology, and more. Together, they teach a curriculum that has been curated for passionate researchers so that they can go on to become part of a robust network of alumni that are changing the face of the medical world.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 92%
Graduation Rate: 80%
Final Score: 172/200

10: Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University is a private university in Cleveland, Ohio that has been ranked in the top 50 among national universities by U.S. News & World Report. The university can trace its founding back to 1826, but it was officially created by a merger that happened between the Case Institute of Technology and the Western Reserve University in 1967. The university is made up of the College of Arts and Sciences; the School of Dental Medicine; the Case School of Engineering; the School of Law; the Weatherhead School of Management; the School of Medicine; the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and; the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. It is accredited as a whole by the Higher Learning Commission. There are almost 12,000 students enrolled at CWRU and less than half of them are undergraduate students. The university is a leading institution for research in both electrochemistry and electrochemical engineering.

The Case School of Engineering and the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine come together to provide students with a comprehensive and convenient online Masters in Biomedical Engineering. This was one of the first biomedical engineering programs created in the world, started in 1968. It is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report and currently has $41.7 million in research grants. There are a few specialty areas that students of this program can choose from, which are biomedical imaging, neural engineering, cardiac bioelectricity, and biomaterials and tissue engineering. Students will have access to a curriculum advisor that they can talk to about what courses will be the best fit for the goals you have for your professional life.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 92%
Graduation Rate: 82%
Final Score: 174/200

9: University of Florida

The University of Florida is a public land-, sea-, and space-grant research university that is located in Gainesville, Florida. The University of the State of Florida, the original name of the school, was founded in 1853. It was a consolidation of the University of Florida at Lake City, the East Florida Seminary, the St. Petersburg Normal and Industrial School, and the South Florida Military College. It has grown into one of the top ten largest universities in the country. It serves 52,367 students, has 16 constituent colleges and schools, features over 300 degree programs, and over 150 other centers and institutes for research. UF is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges. U.S. News & World Report have ranked the university among the top 100 globally in 17 different specifics areas of study, and ranked it as 53rd as a whole.

All of the online chemical engineering programs available at the University of Florida are in materials engineering. There is a Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering, but there are also specializations. These are in Dynamics, Systems, & Controls; Solid Mechanics and Design; and Thermal Fluids Transport. All of these programs are delivered through what UF calls ‘EDGE’ which stands for Electronic Delivery of Gators Engineering. The programs are made to be more flexible so that you can still take that if you can’t come to campus on a regular basis. Courses are presented asynchronously so that you can complete them on your own time. You will have access to all of your course materials 24 hours a day through the canvas platform. UF guarantees that you will receive the same education through their online delivery as you would if you were attending the campus.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 97%
Graduation Rate: 87%
Final Score: 184/200

8: Lehigh University

Lehigh University is a private research university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It first opened in 1865 and was free to students until 1891. It is exceptionally prominent as an engineering university but is unique because it actually got its start as a university rather than a technical school. It offers bachelor, master’s, and doctoral degrees to just over 7,000 students. Lehigh is currently accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education as a whole and is made up of the following academic divisions: The P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science; the College of Business and Economics; the College of Arts and Sciences and; the College of Education. It has been ranked by various publications for its alumni earning potential, educational quality, and more.

The Master’s in Chemical Engineering at Lehigh University is one of the oldest degree programs at the university, having been part of the curriculum for over 100 years now. The university is committed to providing students with a broad base on which they can build their skills further or begin to develop their careers. Courses draw on subjects from the fields of chemistry, physics, mathematics, and biology to make sure that students have a great foundation laid. This program prepares graduates for diverse careers and equips them with what they need to lead innovation in their industry. Faculty members are still actively involved in research and work closely with students to ensure that you can be in an intellectually stimulating environment that will grow your knowledge and network. All coursework is accessible online, and the majority of it is presented asynchronously.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 95%
Graduation Rate: 89%
Final Score: 184/200

7: Villanova University

Villanova University is a private, not-for-profit research university based in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It has a Roman Catholic affiliation because it was founded in 1842 by the Order of Saint Augustine. The first class of students was admitted in 1847, and by 1859, it had conferred its first master’s degree. However, despite its quick academic expansion, it didn’t become coeducational until 1968. Today there are thousands of alumni worldwide and almost 11,000 students currently enrolled. Villanova grants degrees from the associates to the doctoral level in a broad range of fields. It is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and also holds specialized accreditation in nursing and law. It is comprised of the College of Professional Studies; the College of Nursing; the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; the Charles Widger School of Law; the College of Engineering and; the School of Business.

Villanova University offers an online Master of Science in Chemical Engineering that students can complete on a full-time or part-time basis according to their needs. Students who work at a full-time pace can complete the program in as little as two years; part-time students typically only take one class at a time and can complete the program in three years. This program is presented on a hybrid basis with most of the courses available entirely online. All of the online courses are asynchronous, or self-paced, which means that they are perfect for the working professional that can’t commit to regular classes at set times. Students of the program will take courses that are typical of a chemical engineering program like Separation Processes and Transport Phenomena, and will also get to explore topics like Air Pollution Control and Global Pharmaceutical Business. This program has taken subjects from several different chemical engineering disciplines so that students can experience the full range of the field but still have enough specific knowledge to excel in their careers or further studies.

Freshman Retention Rate: 95%
Graduation Rate: 90%
Final Score: 185/200

6: University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is a private sea- and space-grant research university, the oldest private research university in the state of California. It sits on a campus of just over 300 acres in Los Angeles. The university is primarily residential, with only 14% of the 43,871 taking classes online. USC awards degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels’ is has awarded almost 400,000 degrees throughout its history. Some of those degrees went to very notable individuals like George Lucas, Neil Armstrong, and more. There have also been some incredible inventions attributed to the university, like VoIP, antivirus software, the Domain Name System, and more. USC is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Senior College, and University Commission and holds specialized accreditation in eight areas of study.

The Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California offers an online Master of Science in Chemical Engineering which we’ve ranked them for today. It will open doors for students in Pharmaceuticals, Tissue Engineering, Oil and Gas, Commerce, Consultancy, Public Health Agencies, Combustion, Petrochemicals, Project Delivery, Process Control, Petroleum, Minerals, and Environmental Agencies, and so much more. There are start dates in the spring and fall, and students can choose to enroll in a full-time or part-time schedule. The full-time study will lead students to graduate in as little as 18 months depending on existing credits for transfer and past experience. The program is entirely accessible online but for students that live near the university or wish to commute to campus for some of their classes, the option is there.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 96%
Graduation Rate: 92%
Final Score: 188/200

5: University of California Los Angeles

The University of California Los Angeles is most widely known as UCLA. It is a public land-grant research university located in the Westwood district in Los Angeles, California. This school was initially established as the Southern Branch of the University of California in 1881, but it didn’t become part of the University of California System until 1919. It is now the second-largest in the system based on enrollment size, serving about 44,000 students. Those students can earn bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in any one of the 337 offered degree programs. UCLA is made up of six undergraduate colleges, seven professional schools, and four professional Health Science schools; the university as a whole is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Senior College, and University Commission and has been since 1949. It also has been certified by the American Bar Association, the American Dental Association, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and more.

At UCLA, you can earn a Master of Science in Engineering in Materials Science. Materials Science is understanding the microstructure of solids at its core, and it is a quintessential part of understanding materials engineering, which is the design, fabrication, and testing of engineering materials. This program is 36 credits, and students can transfer up to 75% of those credits from an accredited institution if the coursework is the same or comparable. There will be a comprehensive program exam requirement, and students can choose to complete it in two ways. One of them is through a Capstone project course, and the other is by taking three written exams for three different graduate-level courses. There is not currently a thesis option for this program. Typically the program takes two academic years to complete, and the maximum allotted time is three years excluding summer sessions.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 97%
Graduation Rate: 91%
Final Score: 188/200

4: Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first university to be established in America that combined teaching and research, modeled after the ancient Heidelberg University. It first opened in 1876. Throughout its history, it has been associated with 37 Nobel laureates and 1 Fields Medalist. It is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. There are almost 24,000 students at Johns Hopkins, and the majority of them are studying at the graduate level. Only about a quarter of those students are studying online. Johns Hopkins has received more federal research grants than any other institution of higher education in the country. It is made up of nine colleges and schools and offers hundreds of different programs of study at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Johns Hopkins is renowned for being a great medical school, and so it is no surprise the chemical engineering offering at the university is a Master of Science in Applied Biomedical Engineering. Students can choose from three different focus areas which are Imaging, Instrumentation, and Translational Tissue Engineering. Biomedical research and medical care are serious strengths that the university has, so this degree program is going to apply all of the in-depth research and rich experience of the faculty to give you one of the best possible educations in this particular area of study. Students will have three years to complete the program, which consists of six courses. There are professional certificates that students can pursue if they are not actively taking classes in a focus area because the two can’t be completed concurrently.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 96%
Graduation Rate: 92%
Final Score: 188/200

3: University of Virginia

The University of Virginia is a public research university with its main campus in Charlottesville, Virginia. This university was actually founded by a founding father of our country, Thomas Jefferson. It was the first member institution elected into the American Association of Universities, which is a prestigious organization of research universities in the US and Canada. The university is made up of the School of Architecture; the College of Arts & Sciences’ the Darden School of Business; the McIntire School of Commerce; the School of Continuing and Professional Studies; the Curry School of Education; the School of Engineering and Applied Science; the School of Law; the School of Medicine; the School of Nursing and; the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. As a whole, it is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges and serves an incredible amount of students despite the idea that Virginia is a small state. UVA has almost 24,000 students.

Virginia Engineering Online’s Department of Chemical Engineering has a master’s level program in chemical engineering that students can do. The program leads to an advanced degree that gives students a background in chemistry that they can take with them into careers in plastics, energy, and pharmaceutical industries, or industrial or governmental positions if they so choose. The courses take place in Charlottesville, and distance-learning students will have to sign in and watch the lectures as they are happening. The Master of Engineering requires core courses in thermodynamics, chemical reactions, and techniques for chemical engineering analysis and design. Students also have the choice of taking classes from other disciplines to supplement this program if they are relevant to their career field; this can be planned with an academic advisor.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 96%
Graduation Rate: 94%
Final Score: 190/200

2: Columbia University

Columbia University is officially called Columbia University in the City of New York, and it is a private Ivy League research university in Upper Manhattan in New York City, New York. Columbia University was originally established in 1754 as the King’s College, a royal charter of George II of Great Britain. It’s the oldest institution of higher education in the state of New York and the fifth-oldest in America, meaning that it is one of the nine colonial colleges. It spent some time operating under the name Columbia College until graduate degrees were added to the curriculum and it became a university in 1896. There are close to 30,000 students enrolled across the 16 colleges and schools that comprise the university, which is often abbreviated to just Columbia. Even though there is such a large student body, the student-to-faculty ratio is only 6 to 1. This allows students to have a highly individualized experience. Columbia is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

The university wants future chemical engineers to have practical, diverse, and cutting-edge education so that they can stay ahead of the game. To make that accessible to students, the same curriculum as the on-campus program has been made available entirely online in a master’s level degree program. This is one of the few Ivy League schools that have fully online programs and to earn a degree from such a prestigious university while working full time is an incredible opportunity. There is no thesis or capstone project associated with this program. The majority of the credits a student will earn throughout this program are from their elective courses, making sure that the education they receive is specific to their goals. Students are required to possess an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering already because the classes they’ll encounter directly build on the foundation that undergraduate courses lay for them. Admission is fairly competitive.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 97%
Graduation Rate: 94%
Final Score: 191/200

1: Stanford University

Stanford University is a private research university that is legally called the Leland Stanford Junior University. It is located in Stanford, California, and serves more than 17,000 students. The university was founded in 1885 and was modeled after schools like Cornell and Harvard. It was one of the first universities on the west coast that offered an accessible nonsectarian education to both men and women. Stanford is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Senior College, and University Commission. There are degrees offered at the bachelor, master’s, and doctoral levels through its variety of schools and academic departments. Among Stanford’s alumni are the founders of companies that produce a combined $2.7 trillion in annual revenue, 30 living billionaires, and 17 astronauts. U.S. News & World Report ranks Stanford among the top five universities nationally and globally.

The Stanford Center for Professional Development is where you’ll find the top-ranked online chemical engineering degree program, which is a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from this top-scoring institution. This program is primarily online, but there will be time on campus required in order to complete it in its entirety. The typical student studies on a part-time basis to fit the program into their work schedule, and it takes them about five years to complete. It can be completed in as little as three. Students are responsible for working with an advisor to develop a graduate-level program that is thematic and consists of at least 45 units. Some of the lecture courses can be substituted with research units if you prefer to do that. Program proposals must be presented within two months of getting accepted into the program. This is a great option for any student that has a clear focus on chemical engineering and is a self-starter.

To learn more about the program, click here.
Freshman Retention Rate: 98%
Graduation Rate: 94%
Final Score: 192/200

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