### SUMMARY

 Choosing to study Chemistry is a valuable choice and usually a requisite first step for students endeavoring to pursue a career as a chemist, a chemical lab technician, or an epidemiologist. Interestingly, chemistry is of average popularity ranking as the 34th most popular major. Last academic year, there were 15,395 chemistry degrees conferred. In-state tuition for chemistry at private colleges is, on average, 4.3 times more costly than their public fellows.

 With a staggering 1172 colleges offering this degree chances are that any universities you are considering will have an option for you. If you are hoping to surround yourself with other chemistry students, consider looking at institutions in California which have more undergraduates admitted to chemistry than any other state. Zooming out, the top region to major in chemistry is in the Southeast region with [University of Florida](/colleges/university-of-florida), [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill), and [Virginia Commonwealth University](/colleges/virginia-commonwealth-university) best representing the region. Interestingly, our pick of the top conference to major in chemistry is the Big Ten Conference with [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign), [University of Minnesota-Twin Cities](/colleges/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities), and [Purdue University-Main Campus](/colleges/purdue-university-main-campus) representing the conference. From our list of the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges), our choice for the best school for chemistry is [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology).

 The objectively best school might not actually be the best school for every student. There are lots more factors to weigh when choosing college. Stuff like campus amenities, transportation services, and food would impact one's thoughts of which college to attend. At authority.org, we evaluated the pros and cons for you. If, as an example, you want to know which chemistry college has the best campus, the answer is [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university). If, for example, you are very interested in which university is home to the top campus, we have an entire page [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through professor reviews, government databases, student reviews, and more to evaluate every major in the United States in an unbiased and informative way. You can find our well researched list for the colleges with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbsphere and our choice of the college with the best student life for chemistry is [Cornell University](/colleges/cornell-university). Curious why? Keep scrolling to learn more about Authority's top selections. Many of our decisions will probably surprise you.

 If expense is a primary deciding factor in your choice of where you attend university, you might be cautious about [University of Chicago](/colleges/university-of-chicago). [University of Chicago](/colleges/university-of-chicago)&nbspappears to be the most expensive university for chemistry, at least for out of state enrollment. That being said, we have a list of the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspuniversities that might put the cost at [University of Chicago](/colleges/university-of-chicago)&nbspinto perspective. For more context, you could be interested to know that chemistry is the 31st most expensive degree in the United States, with an average bill of $52,100. To zoom out a little, the most costly state for chemistry in the country is Maine with costs at the primary three schools Bates College at $55,683, Bowdoin College at $55,822, and at Colby College of $55,822. Even more broadly, the most expensive region of the country for chemistry is the New England region which is best demonstrated with [Amherst College](/colleges/amherst-college) with a cost of $57,640, [Tufts University](/colleges/tufts-university) with a cost of $57,324, and [Brown University](/colleges/brown-university) with a cost of $57,112.

 Our cheapest region for chemistry is the Rocky Mountains region which is represented by [Brigham Young University-Idaho](/colleges/brigham-young-university-idaho) with a cost of $4,208, [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo) with a cost of $5,790, and [Weber State University](/colleges/weber-state-university) with a cost of $14,973. On the bright side, the most affordable college for chemistry is [University of Florida](/colleges/university-of-florida). Authority.org's entire list of the most affordable schools can be found [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state students can expect to pay around $10,000 for a degree in chemistry. The price increases by a lot to a median of $22,800 for the out-of-state public-school undergraduate. On that note, our selection for the university with the best value for chemistry: [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology). Here you can find our comprehensive list about the universities we see as being the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspin general. That being said, this section is predicated on being an out-of-state student. The value proposition changes when in-state tuition costs are considered, but as we do not know what state(s) you might qualify for in-state tuition, we are approaching this discussion through out-of-state tuition costs.

 Earnings for chemistry students vary a lot, but within two years completing the major students will regularly earn around $47,800. There is much variation in pay; top earners can enjoy pay up to $85,200. Even right out of college, the lowest end positions within the chemistry field earn $27,000, which isn't that bad. The highest earning grads for chemistry graduated from [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology)&nbspand if you are looking for universities with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), we have that too.

 The general diversity of chemistry is near the very top, coming within the 97th percentile of majors nationally. The school with the highest composite diversity for chemistry is [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology)&nbspand here you can find our comprehensive list for the colleges which have the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The financial diversity of the Chemistry major is only within the 35th percentile compared to all other majors. Racial diversity is actually above financial diversity, in the 92nd percentile. White undergraduates compose the largest share, 45%, of those majoring in chemistry. Additionally, 55% of undergrads pursuing a chemistry major are men.

 The median rating for chemistry professors is 3.6 stars, a ranking which is 10% below the median score across all majors; this is a subpar ranking. If you are interested in the most popular chemistry professor nationally, consider looking up Marybeth Lemon from [Brigham Young University-Idaho](/colleges/brigham-young-university-idaho). It may come as a surprise, but the best ranked chemistry instructors from student rankings come from [University of California-Davis](/colleges/university-of-california-davis). If we consider data beyond just rankings it becomes clear that the school possessing comprehensively the best professors for chemistry is [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology). You will find more detail on our ever evolving ranking methodology for the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), along with many of the best instructors in the country.

 Finally, the most difficult school to get into for chemistry is [Stanford University](/colleges/stanford-university). While we are unsure why you would be interested, we do have a detailed list for the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). That being said, here at Authority we do hope you believe that considering university with a perspective mainly informed by superlatives can create problems. We at Authority encourage you to look at some of our more nuanced pages on individual colleges and peruse some of Authority's helpful background pages on essential details to consider as you continue your school search.



 ### POPULARITY

 Chemistry is the 34th most popular degree in America, with 15,395 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #35 [Civil Engineering](/rankings/best-colleges-for-civil-engineering), and narrowly lost to #33 [Music](/rankings/best-colleges-for-music).

 The degree is offered at a total of 1,172 colleges across the nation, and is the 10th most widely offered degree. Given that chemistry is offered at 94% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America, you can be sure this is a critical degree and the skillsets acquired are likely to last for a long time.

 It is also worth noting that one in two colleges offering chemistry are public making it a pretty accessible field.

 The southeast produces the most chemistry graduates, largely led by [University of Florida](/colleges/university-of-florida), while it’s the Big Ten Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, California ranks highest, with particular help from [University of California-Berkeley](/colleges/university-of-california-berkeley) and [University of California-Irvine](/colleges/university-of-california-irvine).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more chemistry graduates than [Cochise County Community College District](/colleges/cochise-county-community-college-district), which graduated 247 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study chemistry). More students studied chemistry as a percentage of total students at [Xavier University of Louisiana](/colleges/xavier-university-of-louisiana) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Chemistry is the 31st most expensive degree in America, with a median cost of $52,145 for the top 50 programs (just ahead of #32, [Music](rankings/best-colleges-for-music), with a median cost of $51,788).

 New England has the most expensive colleges with high quality chemistry programs predominantly led by [Amherst College](/colleges/amherst-college) with an annual cost of $57,640. Maine is the most expensive state for chemistry led by [Bates College](/colleges/bates-college) and [Bowdoin College](/colleges/bowdoin-college).

 Public schools with solid programs generally charge 76.98% less than private schools for in-state students. When looking at out-of-state tuition however, the median top 50 Public school charges 47.39% less than the median private school. So, if you're applying to a state school, make sure you're eligible for in-state tuition ASAP.

 The most high-priced option in the top 25 is [University of Chicago](/colleges/university-of-chicago), which is the 10th most expensive college in the United States. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [CUNY Hunter College](/colleges/cuny-hunter-college). It costs just $14,880 per year, and it's its chemistry program is ranked #33. If you’re looking for the least expensive option in the top 25, [University of Florida](/colleges/university-of-florida)  could be right for you, ranked #14 with an in-state cost of just $4,477. Another more affordable option would be #17, [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign) in Champaign County, IL with a cost of $12,036 for in-state students and $29,178 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Starting college is an important investment for most people. It is important to be sure you are well positioned to gain financially from your investment. We wish for the following earnings and job placement statistics to aid you in making a well informed decision when selecting your focus.

 Fresh out of school, Chemistry majors make $43,204 per year on average (top 34%). With experience in their professions, they typically take in anywhere between $27,008 and $85,206, but average about $47,786. Just so you know, that's 24% greater than average.

 The most common job for a Chemistry graduate is Analyst, which typically earn roughly $54,000; next are Research And Development Internship and Clinical Laboratory Scientist, which typically make near $24,000 and $49,000 respectively.

 The Mid East has the highest earning Chemistry graduates. The highest grossing state for Chemistry graduates is IA. The best paid conference for Chemistry graduates is University Athletic Association.



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Chemistry: Median Professor Rating: 3.6 / 5, which is below average.

 Instructors again and again have a giant impact your college experience, no matter what you study. A good professor might provide inspiration and even make a difficult subject seem fun. Conversely, a bad professor can disenchant you from an entire field or even worse... fail you!

 Professors of Chemistry, disappointingly, only have a median student rating of 3.6 out of 5, putting these professors in the lower 10% in the US based on student satisfaction. For context that's 10% below the national median professor rating for all subjects. Chemistry professors barely out-ranked those from ["Community Health Services"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-community-health-services), whereas ["Managerial Economics"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-managerial-economics)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Chemistry.

 Now for some statistics about Chemistry professors. Colleges located in distant rural areas tend to have the best Chemistry professors. The Independent Northeast Region has the highest rated Chemistry professors. The Far West region has the highest rated Chemistry professors. Private universities tend to have higher rated Chemistry professors than public schools. Finally, New Hampshire has the highest rated Chemistry professors in America.

 Marybeth Lemon, instructor at [Brigham Young University-Idaho](/colleges/brigham-young-university-idaho)&nbspin Rexburg, ID is the most popular Chemistry professor in the nation. Melissa Bush, instructor at [University of North Florida](/colleges/university-of-north-florida)&nbspin Jacksonville, FL is the highest rated Chemistry professor in America, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 Take a look at which universities have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College often can be a very influential investment in one's life; it is an opportunity for personal progress and maturation. Scholars start to discover who they want to be and cultivate the rudimentary skills to become a successful adult. But learning isn't confined to a classroom environment - the campus dialogue, the wild anecdote received from an old instructor, the exposure to a different worldview. Therefore, a diverse univeristy experience tremendously enriches what you gain from your time at school.

 Chemistry is a more popular subject among students of color than white students. 45% of the United States' Chemistry majors are white students, followed by students of other races\*\*(23%), asian students (18%), and latino students (10%). The most racially diverse college\* in the top 100 is [Wesleyan University](/colleges/wesleyan-university)&nbspin Middletown, CT.

 Secondly, Chemistry is pretty diverse when it comes to gender, with slightly above 4 in 9 students majoring in Chemistry identifying as women. [Reed College](/colleges/reed-college) in Portland, OR has the most gender balanced student body in the top 100.

 Another critical type of diversity is wealth diversity. Unfortunately, Chemistry ranks in the bottom 36% of focuses socioeconomic diversity. 31% of its students come from families earning north of $110,000 per year, 16% are from middle income households, and 24% grew up in homes with a sub $30,000 yearly income. [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill) has the most economically diverse students in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall GA is the most diverse state for Chemistry. The Far West is the most diverse region, and the Conference USA is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 18%
* Black: 4%
* Latino: 10%
* White: 45%
* Other: 23%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 55%
* Female: 45%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 24%
* 30k - 48k: 15%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 14%
* Over 110k: 31%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 59%
* Out of State: 31%
* International: 11%


2023 Chemistry Salary

There are about 59,322 students enrolled in Chemistry in the USA.

SALARY