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2024 Best Chemistry Schools in California

24 Colleges in California
3,316 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$46,709 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 2024 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 3,316 degrees in chemistry during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Chemistry School

Best Chemistry Schools in California 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

Bachelor's Degrees in Chemistry
Master's Degrees in Chemistry
Doctor's Degrees in Chemistry

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

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
14th Most Popular In CA
58 Chemistry Degrees Awarded

Stanford University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in chemistry. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were about 58 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Stanford University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
170 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$77,446 Median Starting Salary

University of California - Berkeley is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in chemistry. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 170 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Chemistry degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley earn a boost of approximately $30,737 above the typical earnings of chemistry graduates.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Berkeley

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
126 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
5.6% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of California - Santa Barbara if you want to pursue a degree in chemistry. UCSB is a very large public university located in the suburb of Santa Barbara. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were roughly 126 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Those chemistry students who get their degree from University of California - Santa Barbara make $25,559 more than the average chemistry student.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Santa Barbara

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
412 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
10.2% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in chemistry has to look into University of California - San Diego. Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.

There were approximately 412 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. Those chemistry students who get their degree from University of California - San Diego make $9,644 more than the typical chemistry student.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - San Diego

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
135 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
3.0% Growth in Graduates

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were about 135 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the chemistry program state that they receive average early career wages of $46,221.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Los Angeles

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
119 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
14.3% Growth in Graduates

UC Davis is a very large public university located in the small suburb of Davis. A Best Colleges rank of #52 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were approximately 119 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the chemistry program earn an average of $47,042 for their early career.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Davis

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
175 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$51,133 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.

There were approximately 175 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. Chemistry degree recipients from University of California - Irvine receive an earnings boost of about $4,424 over the typical earnings of chemistry majors.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Irvine

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
6.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Pasadena, Caltech is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #31 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Caltech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 32 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at Caltech in the most recent year we have data available. Chemistry degree recipients from California Institute of Technology get an earnings boost of approximately $13,287 over the typical income of chemistry graduates.

More information about a degree in chemistry from California Institute of Technology

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
105 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$40,950 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 105 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent data year. After graduation, chemistry degree recipients typically earn around $40,950 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in chemistry from San Diego State University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
93 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
12.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #102 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.

There were approximately 93 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the chemistry program state that they receive average early career earnings of $38,243.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of California - Santa Cruz

Best Chemistry Colleges in the Far Western US Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 300 352
Oregon 266 274
Nevada 192 70
Hawaii 164 26
Alaska 119 14

View All Rankings >

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

Chemistry Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Chemistry 3,013
Other Chemistry 288
Polymer Chemistry 8
Chemical Physics 5
Environmental Chemistry 1
Forensic Chemistry 1

View All Chemistry Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Physics 3,224
Geological & Earth Sciences 994
General Physical Sciences 362
Astronomy & Astrophysics 252
Materials Sciences 136
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 82
Other Physical Science 15

View All Chemistry Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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