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2024 Best Chemistry Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges in Illinois
882 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$51,011 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in chemistry, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #51 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Chemistry Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 882 degrees in chemistry during the 2021-2022 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great Chemistry School

Best Chemistry Schools in Illinois 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. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for chemistry schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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 Illinois. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Chemistry in Illinois

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the chemistry degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Illinois Schools in Chemistry

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
168 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
13.1% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in chemistry has to check out University of Chicago. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were about 168 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, chemistry degree recipients generally make around $36,403 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of Chicago

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
82 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
24.4% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in chemistry. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 82 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Chemistry degree recipients from Northwestern University receive an earnings boost of approximately $21,069 above the typical income of chemistry majors.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Northwestern University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
170 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$65,477 Median Starting Salary

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in chemistry. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 170 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Those chemistry students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign make $14,466 more than the standard chemistry student.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$78,333 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Illinois Institute of Technology if you want to pursue a degree in chemistry. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago. This school ranks 9th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 29 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at Illinois Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Chemistry degree recipients from Illinois Institute of Technology earn a boost of about $27,322 over the average earnings of chemistry majors.

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

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
16.1% Growth in Graduates

Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were about 31 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the chemistry program earn around $37,122 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Loyola University Chicago

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
5.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were about 57 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the chemistry program make around $36,142 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of Illinois at Chicago

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$44,522 Median Starting Salary
$22,588 Median Student Debt

Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the midsize suburb of Normal. This university ranks 8th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 20 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the chemistry program earn around $44,522 for their early career.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Illinois State University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
8.9% Growth in Graduates

SIUE is a large public university located in the large suburb of Edwardsville. This university ranks 31st out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 45 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the chemistry program earn around $38,243 for their early career.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$35,020 Median Starting Salary
$25,314 Median Student Debt

Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 39th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 23 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at WIU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the chemistry program make around $35,020 for their early career.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Western Illinois University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$31,230 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 24th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 37 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, chemistry degree recipients generally earn an average of $31,230 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Northern Illinois University

Best Chemistry Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Chemistry Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Michigan322563
Ohio314846
Indiana294533
Wisconsin273406

View All Rankings >

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

Chemistry Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
General Chemistry831
Other Chemistry29
Analytical Chemistry17
Forensic Chemistry3
Polymer Chemistry1
Chemical Physics1

View All Chemistry Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Physics469
Geological & Earth Sciences177
Astronomy & Astrophysics64
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology40
General Physical Sciences23
Other Physical Science4
Materials Sciences1

View All Chemistry Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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