by our College Data Analytics Team
[Chemistry](/majors/physical-sciences/chemistry/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for chemistry students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the chemistry degrees they offer, see the list below.
Our analysis ranked Montana State University the best value for a degree in chemistry in Montana. Set in the city of Bozeman, Montana State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,460, with out-of-state students paying around $33,287. Typical student debt for chemistry graduates is $23,635. Early-career chemistry graduates make about $47,703. Set against $23,635 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 82%.
This list is compiled 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.