College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Chemistry Schools in California

24 Colleges in California
3,379 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$46,709 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in chemistry is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #51 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 24 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for chemistry students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 3,379 degrees in chemistry to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Chemistry School

Best Chemistry Schools in California The chemistry program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Chemistry rankings. For our Best Overall Chemistry School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Chemistry Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Chemistry
Master's Degrees in Chemistry
Doctor's Degrees in Chemistry

The chemistry school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Chemistry Schools in California. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Chemistry in California

The schools below may not offer all types of chemistry degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top California Schools in Chemistry

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
14th Most Popular In CA
46 Chemistry Degrees Awarded

Stanford University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in chemistry. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 46 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Stanford University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
204 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
16.7% Growth in Graduates

University of California - Berkeley is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in chemistry. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 204 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Chemistry degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley earn a boost of around $30,737 over the average income of chemistry majors.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Berkeley

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
147 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
14.3% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat University of California - Santa Barbara if you wish to pursue a degree in chemistry. UCSB is a very large public university located in the suburb of Santa Barbara. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were about 147 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Those chemistry students who get their degree from University of California - Santa Barbara make $25,559 more than the average chemistry student.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Santa Barbara

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
445 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
7.4% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in chemistry has to check out University of California - San Diego. Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.

There were about 445 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year. Those chemistry students who get their degree from University of California - San Diego receive $9,644 more than the average chemistry grad.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - San Diego

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
142 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
4.2% Growth in Graduates

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 142 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the chemistry program state that they receive average early career wages of $46,221.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Los Angeles

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
108 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$47,042 Median Starting Salary

UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Davis. A Best Colleges rank of #52 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were approximately 108 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the chemistry program earn around $47,042 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Davis

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
167 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$51,133 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.

There were roughly 167 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Chemistry degree recipients from University of California - Irvine receive an earnings boost of about $4,424 above the average income of chemistry majors.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Irvine

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
33.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Pasadena, Caltech is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #31 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Caltech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 48 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at Caltech in the most recent year we have data available. Chemistry degree recipients from California Institute of Technology get an earnings boost of about $13,287 above the typical income of chemistry graduates.

More information about a degree in chemistry from California Institute of Technology

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
129 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
18.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.

There were about 129 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, chemistry degree recipients typically earn an average of $40,950 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in chemistry from San Diego State University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
75 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$38,243 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #102 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.

There were approximately 75 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the chemistry program report average early career income of $38,243.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Santa Cruz

Best Chemistry Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Chemistry Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Washington300352
Oregon266274
Nevada19270
Hawaii16426
Alaska11914

View All Rankings >

Chemistry is one of 8 different types of Physical Sciences programs to choose from.

Chemistry Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
General Chemistry3,062
Other Chemistry308
Polymer Chemistry3
Forensic Chemistry3
Chemical Physics2
Environmental Chemistry1

View All Chemistry Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Physics2,939
Geological & Earth Sciences981
General Physical Sciences289
Astronomy & Astrophysics212
Materials Sciences181
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology78
Other Physical Science11

View All Chemistry Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options