Chemistry major
Chemistry: courses, careers, and where to study
Chemistry studies matter and its transformations, preparing graduates for pharmaceutical, materials, energy, environmental, and biotech careers, plus medical and graduate school.
Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Chemistry earn a median $65,120 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $48,307 to $84,018 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college
A Chemistry major covers general, organic, inorganic, analytical, and physical chemistry. Most BS programs require additional math (calculus, differential equations) and physics, plus extensive lab work. ACS-certified programs meet the American Chemical Society standard for graduate-school readiness. Common concentrations include Biochemistry, Materials, Environmental, and Forensic.
Chemistry graduates work in pharmaceutical R&D, materials science, energy, environmental analysis, forensic labs, and medical school. The major pairs naturally with Biology (for biochemistry and pre-med) or Physics (for materials).
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Chemistry maps to CIP 40.0501, Chemistry, General, within the PHYSICAL SCIENCES family. The official definition:
A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Chemistry is awarded as
Of the 19,614 Chemistry credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:
- Certificate: <1%, 153 credentials.
- Associate: 5%, 1,056 credentials.
- Bachelor's: 64%, 12,641 credentials.
- Graduate: 29%, 5,764 credentials.
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 47 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 1 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- General, organic, inorganic, analytical, and physical chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Spectroscopy and instrumental analysis
- Quantum chemistry and thermodynamics
- Lab techniques (synthesis, NMR, mass spec, chromatography)
- Calculus, differential equations, physics
- Senior research thesis
Typical careers
- Pharmaceutical Researcher
- Forensic Chemist
- Materials Scientist
- Environmental Chemist
- PhD Chemist (academia or industry)
- Pre-medicine pathway → MD/DO
Typical salary range: $54,000–$78,000 early-career (BLS chemist median $84,150)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
How much do Chemistry graduates earn?
Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Chemistry earn a median $65,120 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $48,307 to $84,018 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).
| Credential | National median | Middle half of programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | $65,120 | $48,307 to $84,018 |
| Master's | $82,937 | $60,941 to $109,811 |
| Doctoral | $115,386 | $83,589 to $152,460 |
Compare Chemistry programs in your state
Highest-earning bachelor's Chemistry programs
- University of Connecticut (CT): $84,609, median federal debt $25,818
- University of Delaware (DE): $84,428, median federal debt $24,597
- University of California, Berkeley (CA): $82,386, median federal debt $11,077
- Rowan University (NJ): $79,695, median federal debt $25,000
- Oregon State University (OR): $78,417, median federal debt $23,916
- Temple University (PA): $78,052, median federal debt $23,952
- University of California-San Diego (CA): $77,249, median federal debt $16,050
- Towson University (MD): $76,296, median federal debt $21,187
- University of California-Irvine (CA): $74,810, median federal debt $13,000
- University of California-Santa Barbara (CA): $74,713, median federal debt $15,805
Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Chemistry. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major. Graduate programs over the new federal loan caps.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Chemistry, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $64,580 | 66,200 | -1.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $161,180 | 8,500 | +3.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Chemical Technicians | $57,790 | 6,700 | +3.7% | Associate's degree |
| Chemists | $84,150 | 6,300 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Food Science Technicians | $49,430 | 3,200 | +4.8% | Associate's degree |
| Forensic Science Technicians | $67,440 | 2,900 | +12.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary | $86,220 | 1,900 | +2.2% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 7 of these 7 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Chemistry does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Chemistry major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Chemistry program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Chemistry department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Chemistry program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Chemistry credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- University of California-Berkeley, CA · 236 credentials
- University of Florida, FL · 230 credentials
- University of California-San Diego, CA · 229 credentials
- Ohio State University-Main Campus, OH · 228 credentials
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI · 207 credentials
- University of California-Irvine, CA · 192 credentials
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC · 184 credentials
- University of Chicago, IL · 183 credentials
- Purdue University-Main Campus, IN · 180 credentials
- University of Virginia-Main Campus, VA · 177 credentials
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, MI · 169 credentials
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL · 168 credentials
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Chemistry credentials were awarded
24 states have a distinct enough set of Chemistry colleges to be worth its own page.
- Pennsylvania: 80 colleges
- Texas: 72 colleges
- Ohio: 50 colleges
- North Carolina: 36 colleges
- Indiana: 35 colleges
- Michigan: 32 colleges
- Minnesota: 30 colleges
- Georgia: 29 colleges
- Tennessee: 28 colleges
- New Jersey: 27 colleges
- Missouri: 27 colleges
- Florida: 24 colleges
- Iowa: 24 colleges
- South Carolina: 21 colleges
- Alabama: 19 colleges
- Kentucky: 19 colleges
- Oklahoma: 17 colleges
- Louisiana: 17 colleges
- Mississippi: 17 colleges
- Kansas: 16 colleges
- Nebraska: 11 colleges
- West Virginia: 9 colleges
- North Dakota: 7 colleges
- Montana: 6 colleges
Every Chemistry program with its own CampusPin page
15 programs in 10 states, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.
Chemistry programs in California, 5 programs
- University of California-Davis Bachelor's, $73,365
- University of California-Irvine Bachelor's, $74,810
- University of California-Riverside Bachelor's, $64,131
- University of California-San Diego Bachelor's, $77,249
- University of California-Santa Barbara Bachelor's, $74,713
Chemistry programs in Georgia, 1 program
- Georgia State University Bachelor's, $53,430
Chemistry programs in Illinois, 1 program
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Bachelor's, $70,197
Chemistry programs in Michigan, 1 program
- Michigan State University Bachelor's, $65,983
Chemistry programs in New Jersey, 1 program
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick Bachelor's, $73,245
Chemistry programs in New York, 1 program
- CUNY Hunter College Bachelor's, $54,699
Chemistry programs in North Carolina, 2 programs
- East Carolina University Bachelor's, $71,445
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Bachelor's, $64,981
Chemistry programs in Pennsylvania, 1 program
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Bachelor's, $70,206
Chemistry programs in Texas, 1 program
- The University of Texas at Austin Bachelor's, $72,025
Chemistry programs in Virginia, 1 program
- Virginia Commonwealth University Bachelor's, $67,439
Related majors
Biology
Biology is the foundational pre-health major, covering molecular, cellular, organismal, and ecological levels of living systems.
Biochemistry
Biochemistry studies the chemistry of living systems, bridging biology and chemistry for students aiming at research, biotech, pharmaceutical, or medical and graduate pathways.
Physics
Physics studies the fundamental laws of matter, energy, and motion, a foundational major for engineering, computing, finance, and graduate research.
Health Sciences
Health Sciences is a broad pre-professional major for students preparing for medical, dental, PA, PT, or pharmacy school, combining biology, chemistry, and patient-care exposure.
Still deciding between Chemistry and something else?
These guides put Chemistry side by side with the major it is most often confused with, using the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk to show where the two actually lead.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Chemistry degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Science & Research careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Education & Library careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Chemistry degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Chemistry path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.