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2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

240 Ranked Colleges
21,239 Degrees Awarded
$4,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Chemistry is the 51st most popular major in the country with 21,239 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, chemistry graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $40,656 and had an average of $22,680 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 240 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in chemistry. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality chemistry programs that also have a lower cost than 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 chemistry program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Those Making $0-$30k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Chemistry (Income $0-$30k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 240 schools in the Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Chemistry Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,233 for chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Stanford Chemistry Report

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 62 students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Chemistry Schools” list. It costs about $245 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Northwestern University Chemistry Report

3
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 146 students in 2020-2021.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Chemistry Schools” list. It costs about $2,500 for chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UChicago.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read full report on Chemistry at UChicago

4
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also took the #5 spot in our “Best Chemistry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins is $2,084 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Chemistry at Johns Hopkins

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 119 degrees to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #8 spot in our “Best Chemistry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Chemistry Report

6
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Williams is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

Williams did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Chemistry Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $1,451 for chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Chemistry at Williams College

7

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 155 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Chemistry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Chemistry at UW - Madison

8

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 194 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #7 spot in our “Best Chemistry Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,858 for chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Chemistry at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

9
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 177 diplomas to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Chemistry Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Chemistry Schools” list. It costs about $65 for chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UF.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full University of Florida Chemistry Report

10

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 226 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Chemistry Schools” list. It costs about $3,753 for chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Chemistry at UNC Chapel Hill

11
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 117 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cornell also took the #4 spot in our “Best Chemistry Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $5,244 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Cornell University Chemistry Report

12

University of California - Berkeley ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 170 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Chemistry Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,450 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Chemistry at UC Berkeley

13
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wake Forest University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Wake Forest University is also in the top of our “Best Chemistry Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $10,401 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemistry at Wake Forest University

14

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 186 degrees to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #14 spot in our “Best Chemistry Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,698 for chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Chemistry at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

15
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 153 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Purdue is in the top on our “Best Chemistry Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Chemistry Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,995 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Chemistry at Purdue

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Maryland - College Park is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 64 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP also made our “Best Chemistry Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $6,067 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 Chemistry at University of Maryland - College Park

17
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 81 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, IU Bloomington is in the top on our “Best Chemistry Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $5,752 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemistry at Indiana University - Bloomington

18
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, William & Mary also did well on our “Best Chemistry Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $5,972 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 William & Mary Chemistry Report

19
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 132 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $396 for chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hunter.

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%.

Full Hunter Chemistry Report

20

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 135 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Chemistry Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Chemistry at UCLA

21

University of California - San Diego landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 412 students in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Chemistry Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,823 for chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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 Chemistry at UCSD

22

California Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 32 degrees to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Caltech is also in the top of our “Best Chemistry Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $-539 for chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Chemistry at California Institute of Technology

23
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 86 students in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Chemistry Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $6,927 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full Michigan State University Chemistry Report

24
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 84 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $4,950 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full Florida State University Chemistry Report

25
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 157 students in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also took the #18 spot in our “Best Chemistry Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,476 for Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Virginia.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Chemistry at University of Virginia

Rest of the Best 37 in Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 37 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Smith crest
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts
28
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
29
30
31
32
33
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
34
35
36
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts
37
CCNY crest
The City College of New York
New York, New York

Notes and References

References

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