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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Chemistry (Income $30-$48k)

239 Ranked Colleges
20,056 Degrees Awarded
$6,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 20,056 people earned their degree in general chemistry, making the major the 43rd most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 239 colleges that offered a degree in general chemistry. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general chemistry programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general chemistry program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Chemistry Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Chemistry (Income $30-$48k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. It costs about $1,581 for Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at Stanford University

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 123 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k list, UChicago has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Chemistry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $4,777 for chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at UChicago

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 62 students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. It costs about $917 for Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about General Chemistry at Northwestern University

4
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Out of the 239 schools in the Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #4 spot on the list. Williams is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 28 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Williams, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Williams College is $5,480 for chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Williams College General Chemistry Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 112 students in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $5,670 for Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor General Chemistry Report

6
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 117 degrees to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cornell has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Chemistry Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $5,133 for Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at Cornell University

7
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 177 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. It costs about $2,857 for chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Florida.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at University of Florida

8
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

With a ranking of #8, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Johns Hopkins is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 51 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Chemistry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $4,859 for chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Johns Hopkins General Chemistry Report

9

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 152 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also made our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,788 for chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at University of Wisconsin - Madison

10

California Institute of Technology landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

Caltech excels when it comes to chemistry quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,190 for chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Institute of Technology.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on General Chemistry at Caltech

11

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 226 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Chemistry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $5,729 for chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Chemistry at UNC Chapel Hill

12
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

With a ranking of #12, Wake Forest University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wake Forest University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Wake Forest University is also in the top of our “Best General Chemistry Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. It costs about $5,612 for Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wake Forest University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at Wake Forest University

13

University of California - Berkeley landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 170 degrees to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $9,999 for Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at UC Berkeley

14
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 153 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Purdue is in the top on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,853 for Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at Purdue University - Main Campus

15

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 194 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,036 for chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Chemistry Report

16
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, William & Mary is in the top on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $7,507 for Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at William & Mary

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 186 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $8,609 for Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities General Chemistry Report

18

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 81 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, IU Bloomington also did well on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $7,061 for Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full IU Bloomington General Chemistry Report

19

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 135 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,891 for chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at University of California - Los Angeles

20

With a ranking of #20, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 129 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UW Seattle is in the top on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $6,399 for chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about General Chemistry at UW Seattle

21
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 132 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter College is $2,135 for Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Hunter College General Chemistry Report

22

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 172 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $11,176 for chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at University of California - San Diego

23
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #23, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 74 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $7,349 for chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Florida State General Chemistry Report

24
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Emory is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 107 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Emory also made our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $8,976 for Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Emory.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Emory University General Chemistry Report

25

With a ranking of #25, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 170 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Chemistry Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $8,449 for Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Irvine General Chemistry Report

Rest of the Best 36 in Best Value Chemistry Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 36 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
36
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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