by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 6 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Chemistry Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 277 master's degrees in chemistry to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The chemistry master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for chemistry students working on their master's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Chemistry Master's Degree Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in chemistry.
University of California - Los Angeles is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in chemistry. UCLA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of California - Los Angeles
Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in chemistry needs to take a look at University of California - Santa Barbara. UCSB is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of California - Santa Barbara
University of California - San Diego is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in chemistry. Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of California - San Diego
It's hard to beat California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo if you want to pursue a master's degree in chemistry. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public university located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.More information about a master’s in chemistry from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Located in the city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in chemistry from San Francisco State University
UCR is a very large public university located in the large city of Riverside.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of California - Riverside
Explore all the Best Chemistry Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 183 | 36 |
| Oregon | 158 | 65 |
| Nevada | 105 | 2 |
| Hawaii | 85 | 2 |
| Alaska | 52 | 3 |
One of 8 majors within the Physical Sciences area of study, Chemistry has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Chemistry | 252 |
| Polymer Chemistry | 18 |
| Other Chemistry | 7 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Physics | 243 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 215 |
| Materials Sciences | 66 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 46 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 19 |
| General Physical Sciences | 12 |
| Physics and Astronomy | 1 |