Best Chemistry Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the United States
This page ranks 268 Chemistry programs in the United States by the median earnings of Chemistry graduates four years after completing. College of the Holy Cross leads the list with median earnings of $93,122 four years after completing, followed by The College of New Jersey at $90,396 and Northeastern University at $88,364.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $60,823, with a spread of $82,197 from the highest to the lowest reported value.
Public institutions account for 80% of the programs on the list. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the best showing on the page. CUNY Hunter College posts the lowest average net price at $2,984.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of the Holy Cross · Worcester, MA | $93,122 | $38,782 | $14,343 | 17.6% |
| College of the Holy Cross ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $93,122 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | The College of New Jersey · Ewing, NJ | $90,396 | $27,646 | $7,908 | 62.3% |
| The College of New Jersey reports an average net price of $7,908 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $90,396 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Northeastern University · Boston, MA | $88,364 | $30,915 | $2,264 | 5.2% |
| Northeastern University admits 5% of applicants and posts median earnings of $88,364 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | New York University · New York, NY | $86,197 | $37,050 | $16,977 | 9.2% |
| New York University ranks 146th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Chemistry graduates earn a median of $86,197 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of Connecticut · Storrs, CT | $84,609 | $25,097 | $15,193 | 52.4% |
| University of Connecticut shows median federal debt of $25,818 among Chemistry completers who borrowed, with median earnings of $84,609 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of Delaware · Newark, DE | $84,428 | $17,799 | $10,901 | 70.6% |
| Graduates of University of Delaware's Chemistry program earn a median of $84,428 four years after completing, and the school reports an average net price of $17,799. | |||||
| 7 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $82,386 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley posts median earnings of $82,386 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $5,311 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 8 | Drexel University · Philadelphia, PA | $82,185 | $38,509 | $28,055 | 79.4% |
| Drexel University reports median federal debt of $29,667 among Chemistry completers who borrowed, with median earnings of $82,185 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus · Durham, NH | $82,185 | $23,805 | $16,523 | 88.2% |
| University of New Hampshire-Main Campus admits 88% of applicants, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $26,814 in federal loans. | |||||
| 10 | University of Oregon · Eugene, OR | $81,984 | $22,182 | $15,909 | 88.3% |
| An average net price of $15,909 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with median earnings of $81,984 for University of Oregon's Chemistry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Bridgewater State University · Bridgewater, MA | $80,287 | $16,383 | $10,007 | 87.8% |
| Bridgewater State University ranks 356th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Chemistry graduates earn a median of $80,287 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $79,878 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| California State University-Northridge reports median federal debt of $13,872 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, alongside median earnings of $79,878 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of Maryland-College Park · College Park, MD | $79,869 | $15,678 | $2,962 | 44.8% |
| University of Maryland-College Park reports median earnings of $79,869 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $2,962 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 14 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN | $79,736 | $18,976 | $10,029 | 41.6% |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville admits 42% of applicants and its Chemistry graduates four years after completing earn a median of $79,736. | |||||
| 15 | Rowan University · Glassboro, NJ | $79,695 | $22,408 | $15,305 | 77.7% |
| Rowan University ranks 15th on this list, with a median of $79,695 in earnings for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing and a cohort of 25. | |||||
| 16 | Willamette University · Salem, OR | $79,592 | $25,121 | $16,182 | 77.1% |
| A private nonprofit university in Salem, Willamette University shows median federal debt of $20,500 among Chemistry completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 17 | Cornell University · Ithaca, NY | $79,311 | $28,690 | $1,776 | 8.8% |
| Cornell University posts an admission rate of 9% and its Chemistry graduates four years after completing earn a median of $79,311. | |||||
| 18 | Emory University · Atlanta, GA | $79,034 | $22,585 | $7,363 | 10.7% |
| Emory University reports median earnings of $79,034 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $7,363 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 19 | Boise State University · Boise, ID | $78,901 | $21,610 | $18,165 | 87.2% |
| Boise State University ranks 420th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and its Chemistry graduates four years after completing earn a median of $78,901. | |||||
| 20 | Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR | $78,417 | $19,604 | $12,107 | 77.3% |
| Oregon State University shows median federal debt of $23,916 among Chemistry completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $78,417 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst · Amherst, MA | $78,373 | $22,383 | $10,164 | 59.7% |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst reports an average net price of $22,383 and its Chemistry graduates four years after completing earn a median of $78,373. | |||||
| 22 | William & Mary · Williamsburg, VA | $78,270 | $19,096 | $3,106 | 34.1% |
| William & Mary admits 34% of applicants and ranks 197th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 23 | Temple University · Philadelphia, PA | $78,052 | $28,198 | $22,694 | 80.4% |
| Temple University reports median earnings of $78,052 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 18. | |||||
| 24 | George Mason University · Fairfax, VA | $77,681 | $17,915 | $11,942 | 87.5% |
| George Mason University shows median federal debt of $20,504 among Chemistry completers who borrowed and an admission rate of 87%. | |||||
| 25 | Le Moyne College · Syracuse, NY | $77,564 | $22,277 | $14,535 | 83.0% |
| Le Moyne College reports median earnings of $77,564 for its Chemistry graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $14,535 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 the United States appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 83 of the 268 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 differences in who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 268 schools with a published figure. The gap between first-ranked College of the Holy Cross and second-ranked The College of New Jersey is $2,726, while the spread from top to bottom reaches $82,197.
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