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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Chemistry in California (With Aid)

30 Ranked Colleges
1,555 Degrees Awarded
$11,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

General Chemistry is the 38th most popular major in the country with 20,841 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 3,187 general chemistry graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,555 general chemistry graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 30 colleges that offered a degree in general chemistry. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general chemistry programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general chemistry program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 “Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Chemistry in California (With Aid)

#23 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at Cal State LA

#13 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 41 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton General Chemistry Report

#3

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,496 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students with aid per year to attend Stanford.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about General Chemistry at Stanford University

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #4 spot on the list. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 148 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at University of California - Irvine

#5

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 101 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid per year to attend San Diego State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about General Chemistry at San Diego State University

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students with aid per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at UCLA

#2 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 129 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UC Berkeley General Chemistry Report

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 40 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento General Chemistry Report

#24 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 72 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid list, CSUSB has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Chemistry at California State University - San Bernardino

#10

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 92 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at University of California - Santa Barbara

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUB is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 9 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUB also made our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $5,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students with aid per year to attend CSUB.

Read more about General Chemistry at CSUB

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#18 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Chemistry at UCR

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid per year to attend CSUDH.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at CSUDH

#9 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid per year to attend UCSD.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Chemistry at University of California - San Diego

#16 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 15 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSM, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $13,399 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at CSUSM

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid list, CSULB has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students with aid per year to attend CSULB.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Chemistry at California State University - Long Beach

#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 57 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid list, UC Davis has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Davis General Chemistry Report

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 61 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students with aid per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at Cal Poly Pomona

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 38 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid list, UC Merced has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Merced is $13,896 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at UC Merced

California State University - Fresno landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 28 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Chemistry at California State University - Fresno

#17 in overall quality

California State University - Channel Islands landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Channel Islands is a medium-sized school located in Camarillo, California that handed out 38 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUCI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students with aid per year to attend California State University - Channel Islands.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at CSUCI

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid per year to attend Stan State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Chemistry at Stan State

#23

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#10 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 62 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at UC Santa Cruz

#24

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#22 in overall quality

San Francisco State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 19 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students with aid.

Full San Francisco State University General Chemistry Report

California State University - East Bay ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students with aid per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

Read more about General Chemistry at California State University - East Bay

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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