Top Chemistry Programs in California by Earnings (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 25 Chemistry programs in California by the median earnings of Chemistry graduates four years after completing, highest first. University of California-Berkeley leads the list at $82,386, followed by California State University-Northridge at $79,878 and University of California-San Diego at $77,249.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $67,818, with a spread of $49,823 from $82,386 to $32,563. For 2 of the 25 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 24 public schools and 1 private school. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price at $3,967.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $82,386 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley reports $82,386 in median earnings for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing, and ranks 4th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 2 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $79,878 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| California State University-Northridge admits 93% of applicants and posts an average net price of $7,021. | |||||
| 3 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $77,249 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| With $77,249 in median earnings four years after completing, University of California-San Diego also carries a median federal debt of $16,050 among Chemistry completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 4 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $74,810 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine ranks 4th on this list and shows an average net price of $8,123 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $74,713 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| An admission rate of 33% and median earnings of $74,713 four years after completing are reported by University of California-Santa Barbara. | |||||
| 6 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $74,676 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University ranks 36th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts median earnings of $74,676 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $74,430 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| California State University-Sacramento reports a median federal debt of $26,263 among Chemistry completers who borrowed, and an average net price of $9,338. | |||||
| 8 | California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA | $73,392 | $6,067 | $3,938 | 98.1% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $13,540 in federal loans at California State University-Stanislaus, which also reports median earnings of $73,392 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $73,365 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| University of California-Davis posts an average net price of $9,211 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 18th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 10 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $72,220 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| Median earnings of $72,220 four years after completing and a median federal debt of $11,000 among Chemistry completers who borrowed are reported by University of California-Los Angeles. | |||||
| 11 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $71,348 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| University of California-Santa Cruz ranks 11th on this list and shows an admission rate of 66%. | |||||
| 12 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $70,741 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona reports $70,741 in median earnings four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $11,531. | |||||
| 13 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $67,818 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| A public university in Long Beach, California State University-Long Beach reports median earnings of $67,818 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $64,857 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| An average net price of $3,315 for families earning under $30,000 and a 91% admission rate accompany California State University-Fullerton's 14th position on this list. | |||||
| 15 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $64,131 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| University of California-Riverside ranks 31st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Chemistry graduates four years after completing earned a median of $64,131. | |||||
| 16 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $63,882 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's Chemistry completers who borrowed left with a median of $15,259 in federal loans, while the program's median earnings four years after completing reached $63,882. | |||||
| 17 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $63,496 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
| With an average net price of $2,681 for families earning under $30,000, California State University-San Bernardino ranks 17th on this list and reports median earnings of $63,496 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | California State University-Channel Islands · Camarillo, CA | $58,498 | $9,849 | $6,857 | 94.8% |
| California State University-Channel Islands admits 95% of applicants and shows median earnings of $58,498 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | University of California-Merced · Merced, CA | $56,888 | $11,983 | $7,945 | 90.5% |
| University of California-Merced's Chemistry graduates four years after completing earned a median of $56,888, and the school ranks 121st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 20 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $54,966 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| A private nonprofit university in Los Angeles, University of Southern California posts an average net price of $32,740 and a school-wide median federal debt of $18,000 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 21 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $51,747 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| California State University-Los Angeles ranks 3rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Chemistry graduates four years after completing earned a median of $51,747. | |||||
| 22 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA | $50,579 | $13,171 | $8,483 | 98.2% |
| Median federal debt of $24,000 among Chemistry completers who borrowed coincides with median earnings of $50,579 four years after completing at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt. | |||||
| 23 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $45,522 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| California State University-Fresno reports an average net price of $7,000 and median earnings of $45,522 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $44,356 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| With an admission rate of 96%, San Francisco State University ranks 24th on this list and shows median earnings of $44,356 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | California State University-Bakersfield · Bakersfield, CA | $32,563 | $5,652 | $3,536 | 93.9% |
| California State University-Bakersfield, a public university in Bakersfield, reports $32,563 in median earnings for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $3,536 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Chemistry graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figure reflects federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 2 of the 25 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between University of California-Berkeley and California State University-Northridge is $2,508, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $49,823.
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