Top Chemical Engineering Schools in the USA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• As of 2009, U.S. News & World Report has ranked MIT as the top chemical engineering school in the United States for 20 consecutive years. Long considered a pioneer institution in the field, it was the first American university to offer Ph.Ds in chemical engineering (1924). Several of MIT's faculty and alumni hold prestigious positions in both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences. Specialized undergraduate and graduate programs gear students toward careers in fields such as biotechnology, biochemical engineering and microelectronics.

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  Department of Chemical Engineering
  Building 66
  25 Ames St.
  Cambridge, MA 02139
  617-253-4561
  web.mit.edu/cheme

University of California - Berkeley

• Ranked second on the U.S. News & World Report list is the chemical engineering department at UC Berkeley. It should be noted that UC Berkeley's science department offered major contributions to the American war effort during WWII, namely in the areas of petroleum, chemicals and atomic weaponry. Graduate programs cover a variety of specializations such as synthetic biology, molecular simulations and electrochemical engineering. Meeting with the demands of modern global energy and climate issues, UC Berkeley has designed the Helios Energy Research facility.

  University of California - Berkeley
  Department of Chemical Engineering
  201 Gilman Hall
  Berkeley, CA 94720-1462
  510-642-2291
  cheme.berkeley.edu

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

• At the University of Minnesota's Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, there is a faculty of approximately 33. This small group is actively involved with over 200 graduate students, 400 undergrads and a mix of research and postdoctoral associated. Prospective students will find a department specializing in research areas like ceramics and metals, polymers, chemical process synthesis and reaction engineering. U of M's chemical engineering students also have access to partnered research facilities such as the Nanofabrication Center and the Supercomputing Institute.

  University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
  Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
  151 Amundson Hall
  421 Washington Ave. SE
  Minneapolis, MN 55455-0132
  612-625-1313
  cems.umn.edu

California Institute of Technology

• Cal Tech's Department of Chemical Engineering has long been considered one of the most innovative and prestigious learning centers in the world. One of its many claims to fame is its leadership of the American Petroleum Institute's Project 37. Graduate and undergraduate students at Cal Tech have access to top-rated computational facilities such as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the San Diego Supercomputer center. Department faculty have received awards from noted institutions such as the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the National Academy of Engineering.

  California Institute of Technology
  Chemical Engineering
  Mail Code 210-41
  Pasadena, CA 91125
  626-395-4115
  che.caltech.edu

University of Wisconsin - Madison

• UW's Department of Chemical Engineering has been in place since 1905, and has been rated as one of the top chemical engineering programs in the world since that time. For prospective graduate students, research opportunities are available in specialized fields such as molecular and multiscale modeling, complex fluids and environmental engineering. This department also awards approximately 100 bachelor of science degrees each year. Graduate and undergraduate programs maintain high application standards and invite students who are ready to take on a demanding curriculum.

  University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Chemical and Biological Engineering Department
  2014 Engineering Hall
  1415 Engineering Drive
  Madison, WI 53706-1607
  608-262-1092
  engr.wisc.edu/che