Here are the Top Ten Reasons why you should major in Chemical Engineering at UCSB:

1. Distinguished, accessible faculty who are leaders in their fields
   The Department is ranked 9th in the country, and 2nd among UC schools, by U.S. News and World Report (link). Seven of our twenty faculty are members of the National Academy of Engineering, the highest proportion of any ChE department.
   
2. A modern, up-to-date curriculum
   Our curriculum provides a good balance of fundamental and applied topics, an excellent preparation for a wide range of post-college activities. The ChE program is fully accredited.
   
3. A diverse ChE student body
   Our undergraduate students are approximately 30% female and 30% ethic minorities
   
4. Appropriate class sizes
   Typically, there are only 30-45 students in required classes and 5-15 students in elective courses.
   
5. High quality teaching assistants
   As a top-ranked ChE department (link), we attract excellent PhD students who can serve as teaching assistants, after their first year at UCSB. Typically, 1/3 are women and 2/3 have received their B.S. degrees from U.S. schools.
   
6. Undergraduate research and summer internships
   Undergraduates can gain research experience through independent studies courses and by participating in faculty research projects. Summer internships in industry are encouraged.
   
7. Excellent opportunities to study abroad
   The University of California Education Abroad Program (link) has programs at 150 universities in 35 countries. In recent years, our students have enriched their education by studying abroad in a variety of countries that include Argentina, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sweden.
   
8. Rewarding careers and high salaries
   Chemical engineers had the highest average starting salary in 2005, $55,900.
   (Reference: Survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers)
   
9. Strong Interdisciplinary/multi-disciplinary research programs
   These campus programs and institutes produce exciting research results on a wide variety of important problems (link) Many of our faculty hold joint appointments with other departments.
   
10. The location and weather are not bad.