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.
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 19,189 Chemistry credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate<1%89
- Associate5%1,005
- Bachelor's65%12,379
- Graduate30%5,716
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 45 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 0 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 2023-24, 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.
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 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- University of California-San DiegoCA · 255
- University of FloridaFL · 218
- University of California-BerkeleyCA · 209
- University of Wisconsin-MadisonWI · 195
- University of California-IrvineCA · 186
- University of Virginia-Main CampusVA · 180
- University of ChicagoIL · 174
- Purdue University-Main CampusIN · 169
- University of California-Los AngelesCA · 168
- University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignIL · 168
- Emory UniversityGA · 157
- University of North Carolina at Chapel HillNC · 151
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. 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.
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 Chemistryside 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.