Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering

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Engineer biopharma breakthroughs, clean energy systems, and sustainable materials with a chemical engineering degree from WPI.

At a Glance

STEM-Designated Degree

Qualifies international students for extended U.S. work authorization through Optional Practical Training (OPT)

ABET-Accredited Degree

Ensures a program meets standards for preparing graduates for critical STEM careers and professional licensure.

Bachelor’s + Master’s Program

BS/MS available: Earn both degrees in five years.

Proven Career Success

Average Starting Salary: $74,269* 

Notable Employers: Regeneron, DuPont, AbbVie, Saint-Gobain, The Estee Lauder Companies*

*WPI Class of 2025 First Destination Survey, Bachelor’s Degree Graduates

Application Deadlines

Early Decision/Early Action I: Nov. 1 

Early Decision/Early Action II: Jan. 5 

Regular Decision: Feb. 1 

Explore This Degree

Options

Customize Your Path

Your WPI degree is yours to shape. Specialize with a concentration to go deeper into the area driving your curiosity. Complement your major with a minor, or choose electives that interest you. Take your education even further with the accelerated BS/MS, which allows you to earn both your bachelor’s and master’s in as few as five years.

 

Concentrations

Biological

Apply chemical engineering to living systems—bioreactors, biomolecules, and bioprocesses that power biotech and biopharma.

Energy

Engineer the systems that move and store energy—fuels, batteries, fuel cells, and the electrochemistry behind sustainable power.

Materials

Design polymers, ceramics, composites, and nanomaterials from the molecule up, shaping how surfaces and structures perform.

Environmental

Apply green chemistry and reaction engineering in order to clean water, scrub air, and turn industrial waste into something safer.

Potential Minors

Environmental and Sustainability Studies | Business | Biology | Data Science

 

View All Minors

Undecided? No problem. Apply now and explore before committing to a specific path. 

13:1

Student-to-Faculty Ratio 

270+

Student Clubs and Organizations

95%

Of First-Year Students Return for Their Sophomore Year (2025)

WPI Difference

Why Future Chemical Engineers Choose WPI

Our project-based degree in chemical engineering prepares you for the energy, biotechnology, and sustainability challenges of tomorrow.  

Through distinctive seven-week terms and intensive project work, you’ll:

Design

reactors, separation systems, and process flows that solve real industry problems

 

Engineer

biomanufacturing and bioprocessing workflows alongside life-sciences researchers

 

Develop

sustainable energy, materials, and water solutions through hands-on major projects

 

BUILD

a professional portfolio of completed projects at one of our 50+ project centers worldwide

CUSTOMIZE

your expertise by choosing a mix of electives or a concentration to match your interests

Collaborate

with teams across disciplines to develop solutions for today’s complex challenges

Resources & Tech You’ll Tap Into

Biomanufacturing Education and Training Center (BETC)_LabImage

Biomanufacturing Education and Training Center

Train on industrial-scale bioprocessing and cell-culture systems.
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Integrative Materials Design Center (iMdc)_LabImage

Integrative Materials Design Center

Run polymer, composite, and metal characterization work through industry partnerships.
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Center for Advanced Research in Drying (CARD)_LabImage

Center for Advanced Research in Drying

Prototype clean-energy and process-intensification technologies at the Smart Dryer Lab.
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Research Opportunities 

  • Lithium-ion battery recycling and rare-earth recovery
  • Waste-stream conversion and circular materials
  • Drug delivery, biomaterials, and tissue engineering
  • Water contamination, advanced oxidation, and sustainability
  • Hydrogen fuel cell research and clean energy
  • Materials and manufacturing research

Project-Based Learning Experiences

Apply chemical engineering theory and practice from day one. Build a professional portfolio with work that matters.

At WPI, learn in an immersive environment where classroom concepts transform into hands-on projects, thanks to our intensive, seven-week terms. Complete increasingly advanced projects for industry partners and community organizations, both local and global. Present your solutions directly to organizations that will implement what you create.  

Below, explore projects completed by chemical engineering students at WPI.

WPI students building project wood prototype
Global

📍Nancy, France

Industrial Dust Explosion Safety Research — Students analyzed how inert additives inhibit Niacin dust explosions to advance chemical process safety standards.

Global

📍Eastern Region, Ghana

Community Recycling System Design — Teams co-designed a local waste management and recycling system with rural communities in eastern Ghana.

Local

📍Chelsea, Mass.

Environmental Justice Mapping — Students mapped environmental hazards and toxic pollution burdens across Chelsea neighborhoods for the city housing department. 

Local

📍Boston, Mass.

Toxic Chemical Reduction Program Review — Teams evaluated and improved services offered by the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act program for state industry.

Industry

📍Worcester, Mass.

Pharmaceutical Photocatalysis with Pfizer — Students developed scalable photocatalytic microreactor technology for Pfizer to enable greener pharmaceutical synthesis processes.

Industry

📍Worcester, Mass.

Liposome Antimicrobial Formulation — Students formulated novel liposome systems to boost antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis bacterial biofilm infections.

Skills & Salary

Skills You'll Gain

Through WPI’s chemical engineering degree, you’ll design industrial processes, engineer life-saving therapies, and lead the sustainable energy transition through hands-on, project-based learning.

Explore opportunities to build skills such as:

Process Design & Simulation

 

Model full-scale chemical plants using Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS to optimize reactors, distillation columns, and heat exchangers before a single pipe is built.


Apply thermodynamics and transport phenomena in MATLAB to solve real separations and reaction engineering challenges drawn from industry projects.

Bioprocess Engineering & Biomanufacturing

 

Scale up cell culture and fermentation systems that produce vaccines, biofuels, and therapeutics, then design downstream processing to purify the final product.


Engineer bioreactors and biological pathways in WPI labs to translate biotech discoveries into manufacturable medicines and sustainable materials.

Materials Synthesis & Sustainable Energy Systems

 

Characterize advanced materials using SEM, FTIR, DSC, and rheology to develop polymers, catalysts, and battery components for next-generation technologies.


Design electrochemical systems, fuel cells, and battery chemistries that power the clean-energy transition while applying green chemistry principles.

Technical Leadership & Communication

 

Lead HAZOP studies and life cycle assessments on real industry projects, balancing process safety, environmental impact, and economic viability for sponsoring companies.


Communicate complex technical findings to executives, regulators, and cross-functional teams through written reports, presentations, and Python-based data visualizations.

→ Explore the full curriculum in the academic catalog.

Student Voice

“As a chemical engineering major, I knew that I would want opportunities both working in a lab and writing my own procedures. Even in my first term at WPI, I was able to achieve both those objectives. My fluency and skill level have increased tremendously because of it.”

Paige Agostini '25
Paige Agostini '25
BS in Chemical Engineering, BA in Environmental & Sustainability Studies

Paige’s passion for sustainability and making a difference in the community gives her a sense of place at WPI.  [...]

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#15

Best Career Placement

The Princeton Review (2026)
#67

Best Chemical Engineering Program

U.S. News & World Report (2024)
Top 15%

Best Colleges for Engineering in America

Niche (2025)
Career

Chemical Engineering Career & Salary Outlook

Career Path 

Industry Sector 

Entry Level (0–5 years) 

Mid-Level (5–10 years) 

Senior Level (10+ years) 
Aerospace Engineering  Industrial Process Engineer
$80K		 Senior Process Engineer
$122K		 Director of Process Engineering
$190K
Mechanical Engineering  Biotech & Pharma Bioprocess Engineer
$80K		 Senior Bioprocess Engineer
$122K		 Director of Manufacturing
$190K
Biomedical Engineering  Materials Materials Engineer
$78K		 Senior Materials Engineer
$108K		 Materials Engineering Director
$175K
HVAC Systems  Energy Energy Engineer
$80K		 Senior Energy Engineer
$120K		 Director of Sustainability
$185K
Manufacturing Engineering  Environmental Environmental Engineer
$75K		 Senior Environmental Engineer
$104K		 Director of Environmental Operations
$160K
Product Design  MedTech Bioengineer
$78K		 Biomedical Engineer
$107K		 R&D Director
$170K

Salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Tuition & Costs
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Financing Your Future

College is a great investment in your future—and we’re here to help you plan for it. Explore WPI’s cost of attendance and learn how our Office of Financial Aid can guide you through options for funding your education. 

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Start Building Your Future Today

WPI’s simple formula helps students thrive: “Go to class. Do the work. Ask for help.” With our chemical engineering degree, you’ll gain the expertise, hands-on experience, and network to engineer cleaner energy, life-saving medicines, and sustainable materials.

Continue Your Studies

MS in Chemical Engineering
PhD in Chemical Engineering
Professional MS in Chemical Engineering

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