2025 Best Chemistry Schools in California
24
Colleges in California
3,379
Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$47,693
Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in
chemistry is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #51 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 24 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for chemistry students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,379 degrees in chemistry annually.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Chemistry School
The chemistry program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Chemistry rankings. For our Best Overall Chemistry School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Chemistry Rankings by Degree Level
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 the Best Chemistry Schools in California.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
Best Schools for Chemistry in California
The schools below may not offer all types of chemistry degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top California Schools in Chemistry
It is difficult to beat University of California - Santa Barbara if you want to pursue a degree in chemistry. UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara. A Best Colleges rank of #47 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.
There were roughly 147 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. After graduating, chemistry degree recipients typically make about $47,197 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Santa Barbara
Every student pursuing a degree in chemistry has to take a look at University of California - San Diego. Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.
There were about 445 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year. Chemistry degree recipients from University of California - San Diego receive an earnings boost of around $8,580 over the typical income of chemistry graduates.
More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - San Diego
University of California - Berkeley is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in chemistry. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were roughly 204 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Chemistry degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley receive an earnings boost of around $30,652 over the typical earnings of chemistry majors.
More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Berkeley
University of California - Davis is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in chemistry. UC Davis is a very large public university located in the small suburb of Davis. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.
There were approximately 108 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, chemistry degree recipients typically earn an average of $49,100 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Davis
Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.
There were about 167 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the chemistry degree program at University of California - Irvine earn $8,028 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Irvine
UCLA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were roughly 142 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the chemistry program at University of California - Los Angeles get $10,150 more than the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the small city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #91 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.
There were approximately 75 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent data year. After graduation, chemistry degree recipients usually earn around $39,700 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Santa Cruz
Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #185 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 129 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, chemistry degree recipients usually make around $43,603 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in chemistry from San Diego State University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
20th
Most Popular In CA
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo. A Best Colleges rank of #165 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a great university overall.
There were approximately 29 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in chemistry from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #225 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SFSU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 23 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the chemistry program earn about $44,140 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a degree in chemistry from San Francisco State University
