2026 Best Value Chemistry Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in chemistry, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Chemistry Schools
Princeton University tops our 2026 list of the best value chemistry schools in the Middle Atlantic Region. Princeton University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Princeton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,688. Chemistry graduates carry a median of $10,888 in student loans. Chemistry graduates of Princeton University earn a median of $67,532 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $10,888 median debt. The acceptance rate is 5%.
Students looking for strong value in chemistry will find it at Cuny Brooklyn College, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Brooklyn, Cuny Brooklyn College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,452, compared with $15,402 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $13,303 to complete the chemistry program here. Soon after graduation, chemistry degree recipients from Cuny Brooklyn College generally make around $34,239. Set against $13,303 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Cuny Brooklyn College admits about 58% of applicants.
Cuny Hunter College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in chemistry, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of New York, Cuny Hunter College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $7,382 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,332. Students borrow a median of $9,000 to complete the chemistry program here. Early-career chemistry graduates make about $29,340. Set against $9,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 54% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Cuny City College earned it the #4 place for chemistry. Set in the city of New York, Cuny City College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,340 in tuition and fees, compared with $15,290 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $13,389 to complete the chemistry program here. Soon after graduation, chemistry degree recipients from Cuny City College generally make around $53,154. That is a strong return on a $13,389 median debt. Cuny City College admits about 60% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in chemistry will find it at Cuny Lehman College, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Bronx, Cuny Lehman College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,410, with out-of-state students paying around $15,360. Chemistry graduates carry a median of $12,136 in student loans. Chemistry graduates of Cuny Lehman College earn a median of $31,815 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.
Cuny New York City College Of Technology came in at #6 for value in chemistry this year. Located in the city of Brooklyn, Cuny New York City College Of Technology is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $7,332 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,282. Chemistry graduates carry a median of $11,492 in student loans. Chemistry graduates of Cuny New York City College Of Technology earn a median of $44,323 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Cuny New York City College Of Technology admits about 80% of applicants.
Montclair State University came in at #7 for value in chemistry this year. Montclair State University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Montclair. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,912, compared with $26,022 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,600 to complete the chemistry program here. Early-career chemistry graduates make about $55,389. Set against $23,600 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
University Of Maryland College Park came in at #8 for value in chemistry this year. Located in the suburb of College Park, University Of Maryland College Park is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,809, while out-of-state students pay about $41,186. Chemistry graduates carry a median of $21,238 in student loans. Chemistry graduates of University Of Maryland College Park earn a median of $46,140 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Maryland College Park admits about 45% of applicants.
Towson University came in at #9 for value in chemistry this year. Towson University is a very large public school located in the city of Towson. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,728, with out-of-state students paying around $29,820. Chemistry graduates carry a median of $23,000 in student loans. Chemistry graduates of Towson University earn a median of $52,765 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,000 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Johns Hopkins University placed #10 among the best values for chemistry. Johns Hopkins University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore. In-state tuition and fees average $64,730. Typical student debt for chemistry graduates is $12,366. Chemistry graduates of Johns Hopkins University earn a median of $78,087 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Delaware ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value chemistry schools. Set in the suburb of Newark, University Of Delaware is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,810, with out-of-state students paying around $41,400. Typical student debt for chemistry graduates is $24,893. Soon after graduation, chemistry degree recipients from University Of Delaware generally make around $78,611. Set against $24,893 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Delaware admits about 71% of applicants.
Gloucester County College placed #12 among the best values for chemistry. Set in the suburb of Sewell, Gloucester County College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,160 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $6,000. Students borrow a median of $13,236 to complete the chemistry program here. Chemistry graduates of Gloucester County College earn a median of $38,274 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Suny College At Oswego earned the #13 position for value in chemistry this year. Located in the town of Oswego, Suny College At Oswego is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $8,825 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $18,735. Chemistry graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, chemistry degree recipients from Suny College At Oswego generally make around $52,645. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Harrisburg University Of Science And Technology placed #14 among the best values for chemistry. Set in the city of Harrisburg, Harrisburg University Of Science And Technology is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $24,400. Students borrow a median of $28,375 to complete the chemistry program here. Chemistry graduates of Harrisburg University Of Science And Technology earn a median of $35,098 early in their careers. Set against $28,375 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Kean University landed the #15 spot for chemistry value this year. Located in the suburb of Union, Kean University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $14,299 in tuition and fees, compared with $22,446 for out-of-state students. Chemistry graduates carry a median of $26,703 in student loans. Soon after graduation, chemistry degree recipients from Kean University generally make around $48,705. Set against $26,703 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 76%.
Suny At Geneseo came in at #16 for value in chemistry this year. Suny At Geneseo is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Geneseo. In-state tuition and fees average $8,999, with out-of-state students paying around $19,569. Chemistry graduates carry a median of $20,976 in student loans. Soon after graduation, chemistry degree recipients from Suny At Geneseo generally make around $37,022. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 66% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Maryland Baltimore County placed #17 among the best values for chemistry. Set in the suburb of Baltimore, University Of Maryland Baltimore County is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,256 in tuition and fees, compared with $31,225 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for chemistry graduates is $16,750. Chemistry graduates of University Of Maryland Baltimore County earn a median of $44,215 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,750 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Stony Brook University placed #18 among the best values for chemistry. Stony Brook University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Stony Brook. Students from in state pay about $10,931 in tuition and fees, compared with $32,741 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for chemistry graduates is $22,750. Chemistry graduates of Stony Brook University earn a median of $31,685 early in their careers. Set against $22,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 49%.
Suny At Albany landed the #19 spot for chemistry value this year. Suny At Albany is a very large public school located in the city of Albany. Students from in state pay about $10,601 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $30,991. Chemistry graduates carry a median of $25,856 in student loans. Soon after graduation, chemistry degree recipients from Suny At Albany generally make around $48,276. That is a strong return on a $25,856 median debt. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Columbia University In The City Of New York ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best value chemistry schools. Set in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,517. Chemistry graduates carry a median of $23,258 in student loans. Chemistry graduates of Columbia University In The City Of New York earn a median of $86,770 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,258 median debt. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.
Saint Francis University came in at #21 for value in chemistry this year. Saint Francis University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Loretto. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $26,388. Chemistry graduates carry a median of $30,729 in student loans. Chemistry graduates of Saint Francis University earn a median of $63,097 early in their careers. Set against $30,729 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Saint Francis University admits about 77% of applicants.
Rutgers University Newark ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the best value chemistry schools. Located in the city of Newark, Rutgers University Newark is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,250, compared with $36,762 for out-of-state students. Chemistry graduates carry a median of $23,250 in student loans. Early-career chemistry graduates make about $61,948. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 71%.
Pennsylvania Western University came in at #23 for value in chemistry this year. Pennsylvania Western University is a large public school located in the town of California. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,436, with out-of-state students paying around $16,054. Graduates go on to earn a median of $47,295 ten years after entry. Pennsylvania Western University admits about 94% of applicants.
Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus earned the #24 position for value in chemistry this year. Set in the town of Indiana, Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,380 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $16,297. Chemistry graduates carry a median of $29,438 in student loans. Early-career chemistry graduates make about $42,972. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
University At Buffalo earned the #25 position for value in chemistry this year. Set in the suburb of Buffalo, University At Buffalo is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,936, while out-of-state students pay about $31,536. Chemistry graduates carry a median of $23,250 in student loans. Early-career chemistry graduates make about $60,376. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Rest of the Top 50 Best Value Chemistry Schools
These schools rounded out the top of this year’s chemistry value ranking:
Narrow Chemistry Schools by State
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 229 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 34 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
[Chemistry](/majors/physical-sciences/chemistry/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
