2025 Best Chemistry Doctor's Degree Schools in Tennessee

Ranked #11 in popularity, chemistry is one of the most sought-after doctor's degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 2 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Chemistry Doctor's Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 45 doctor's degrees in chemistry to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Doctor’s Degree Schools List

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of doctorate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their doctor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to chemistry students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - How many other chemistry students want to attend this school to pursue a doctor's degree.
• Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
• Student Debt - How easy is it for chemistry to pay back their student loans after receiving their doctor's degree.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized chemistry related body.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for chemistry students working on their doctor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Chemistry Doctor's Degree Schools in Tennessee list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Chemistry in Tennessee

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for chemistry students seeking a a doctor's degree.

Top Tennessee Schools for a Doctorate in Chemistry

1

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Knoxville, TN

24 Annual Graduates

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is one of the best schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in chemistry. UT Knoxville is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Knoxville.More information about a doctorate in chemistry from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

2

Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

16 Annual Graduates

Vanderbilt University is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in chemistry. Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a doctorate in chemistry from Vanderbilt University

Best Chemistry Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
Florida	138	105
Virginia	127	62
Georgia	126	97
North Carolina	115	84
Mississippi	113	20
Louisiana	103	37
Alabama	98	30
South Carolina	91	32
Kentucky	87	19
Arkansas	58	7
West Virginia	49	15

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Chemistry Related Rankings by Major

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

Chemistry Focus Areas

Major	Annual Graduates
General Chemistry	45

Majors Similar to Chemistry

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Physics	25
Geological & Earth Sciences	18
Materials Sciences	6
Astronomy & Astrophysics	5

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• 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 the rest 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). More about our data sources and methodologies.