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2023 Most Popular Colleges for General Chemistry

1,376 Ranked Colleges
20,056 Degrees Awarded
$35,200 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Chemistry Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Chemistry Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 20,056 people earned their degree in general chemistry, making the major the 43rd most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Chemistry Major” ranking analyzed 1,376 colleges that offered a degree in general chemistry. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in general chemistry.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Chemistry Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Chemistry Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Chemistry Major”.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 226 degrees to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Chemistry at UNC Chapel Hill

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 194 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Chemistry at UIUC

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major list. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 186 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities General Chemistry Report

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 1,376 schools in the Most Well Attended Chemistry Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 177 degrees to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Chemistry at University of Florida

5

Out of the 1,376 schools in the Most Well Attended Chemistry Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #5 spot on the list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 172 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 UCSD

6

University of California - Irvine landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 170 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Chemistry at University of California - Irvine

6

University of California - Berkeley landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major ranking. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 170 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 University of California - Berkeley General Chemistry Report

8
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major ranking, coming in at #8. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 157 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Virginia General Chemistry Report

9
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major ranking. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 153 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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 Purdue University - Main Campus

10

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major ranking, coming in at #10. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 152 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Chemistry at UT Austin

10

With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 152 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at UW - Madison

12

Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major ranking, coming in at #12. FIU is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 139 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at Florida International University

13

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Chemistry Major list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 135 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Chemistry at University of California - Los Angeles

14
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major ranking. Hunter is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 132 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at Hunter College

15
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Chemistry Major list. Georgia State University is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 131 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about General Chemistry at Georgia State

16

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 129 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

17

Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major ranking. Located in Richmond, Virginia, this large public school awarded 124 degrees to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 VCU

18
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major list. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 123 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at UChicago

19
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Chemistry Major list. University of Utah is a public institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 119 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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 University of Utah

20
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 117 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, 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 96%.

Full Cornell University General Chemistry Report

21

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major ranking. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 116 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Chemistry at University of California - Santa Barbara

22

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Chemistry Major list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 112 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Chemistry at U-M

23

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Chemistry Major list. OHIO Athens is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 111 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Full OHIO Athens General Chemistry Report

24

Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Chemistry Major ranking. Texas A&M College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 108 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 94%.

Full Texas A&M College Station General Chemistry Report

25
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #25, Emory University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major list. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 107 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on General Chemistry at Emory University

Rest of the Best 51 in Most Well Attended Chemistry Major

Not only did these schools make the top 51 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
28
29
30
30
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
32
32
34
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina
35
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
36
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
36
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York
38
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
38
40
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey
41
41
Orange Coast College crest
Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa, California
43
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
44
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas
44
46
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona
46
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
48
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
49
Binghamton University crest
Binghamton University
Vestal, New York
50
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Chemistry Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
52University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
53University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
53University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
53Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT
56Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
57Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR
57San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
59The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX
60Georgia Institute of Technology - Main CampusAtlanta, GA
60Irvine Valley CollegeIrvine, CA
60North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
60University of IowaIowa City, IA
64University of KentuckyLexington, KY
64University of Maryland - College ParkCollege Park, MD
64Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL
RankCollegeLocation
67Indiana University - Purdue University - IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN
68Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA
68Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA
68University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
71Stanford UniversityStanford, CA
71Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY
73University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
73Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ
73University of DelawareNewark, DE
76University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
76University of MemphisMemphis, TN
78University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL
78University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
78Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA
78University of Puerto Rico - Rio PiedrasSan Juan, PR
78William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
78Duke UniversityDurham, NC
84University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
84University of North TexasDenton, TX
84California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
87University of Minnesota - DuluthDuluth, MN
87Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
87University of RochesterRochester, NY
87University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO
91Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD
RankCollegeLocation
91Fullerton CollegeFullerton, CA
93Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA
93University of Puerto Rico - MayaguezMayaguez, PR
95Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA
95Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL
97University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, MA
97University at AlbanyAlbany, NY
97Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA
97Rice UniversityHouston, TX
97Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
102Arizona State University - TempeTempe, AZ
102Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn, NY
102Montana State UniversityBozeman, MT
105The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
105Boston UniversityBoston, MA
105Kalamazoo CollegeKalamazoo, MI
105Washington University in St LouisSaint Louis, MO
105University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA
110California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
110Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
110Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA
113University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC
113Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA
113Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS
113The University of Texas at DallasRichardson, TX
RankCollegeLocation
113Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL
118Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
118Towson UniversityTowson, MD
118Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
121Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA
121University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY
121Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
121Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
125University of MississippiUniversity, MS
125University of Nevada - RenoReno, NV
125University of California - MercedMerced, CA
125Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA
125Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
125Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleEdwardsville, IL
131California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
131Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
131Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
131Kent State University at KentKent, OH
135Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA
135University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN
135Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI
135Saddleback CollegeMission Viejo, CA
135Lehman CollegeBronx, NY
140James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA
140Missouri State University - SpringfieldSpringfield, MO
RankCollegeLocation
142California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
142University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
144Western Carolina UniversityCullowhee, NC
144West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV
144Washington State UniversityPullman, WA
144California State University - FresnoFresno, CA
144California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA
149University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO
149Golden West CollegeHuntington Beach, CA
149The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TX
149Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH
149University of KansasLawrence, KS
154The University of Tennessee - ChattanoogaChattanooga, TN
154Haverford CollegeHaverford, PA
154Boise State UniversityBoise, ID
154George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
154Brown UniversityProvidence, RI
154Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY
154Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
161University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL
161St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN
161Moorpark CollegeMoorpark, CA
164Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN
164Prairie View A & M UniversityPrairie View, TX
164Southern Connecticut State UniversityNew Haven, CT
RankCollegeLocation
164Tennessee Technological UniversityCookeville, TN
164Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
164University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
164California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA
164California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
164St John’s University - New YorkQueens, NY
164Santiago Canyon CollegeOrange, CA
164The Graduate Center, CUNYNew York, NY
175California State University - Channel IslandsCamarillo, CA
175University of Massachusetts - LowellLowell, MA
175The University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX
178University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA
178Austin Community College DistrictAustin, TX
178South Dakota State UniversityBrookings, SD
181California State University - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
181Xavier University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
181The University of Texas at El PasoEl Paso, TX
181Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL
181College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA
181Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
187University of New Mexico - Main CampusAlbuquerque, NM
187Butler UniversityIndianapolis, IN
187Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN
187Rowan UniversityGlassboro, NJ
187Santa Barbara City CollegeSanta Barbara, CA
RankCollegeLocation
187East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson City, TN
187Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, NY
187Creighton UniversityOmaha, NE
187Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA
196Southeast Missouri State UniversityCape Girardeau, MO
196United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, MD
196Christopher Newport UniversityNewport News, VA
196Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
196Hope CollegeHolland, MI
196San Diego Miramar CollegeSan Diego, CA
196Rhodes CollegeMemphis, TN
196University of Alabama in HuntsvilleHuntsville, AL
196Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, WA
205Lewis UniversityRomeoville, IL
205Oklahoma State University - Main CampusStillwater, OK
205University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL
205University of Southern MississippiHattiesburg, MS
205The City College of New YorkNew York, NY
205Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL
205Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
205Portland State UniversityPortland, OR
205The College of New JerseyEwing, NJ
205Rutgers University - NewarkNewark, NJ

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Notes and References

References

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