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2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

30 Ranked Colleges
1,555 Degrees Awarded
$8,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 20,841 people earned their degree in general chemistry, making the major the 38th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 3,187 general chemistry graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,555 general chemistry graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 30 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general chemistry program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Chemistry (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,145 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 Stanford

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 129 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,130 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 University of California - Berkeley

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 50 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,254 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

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

#23 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,117 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at Cal State LA

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,100 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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 89%.

Read more about General Chemistry at California State University - Fullerton

#7 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 148 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chemistry students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Chemistry at University of California - Irvine

#7

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#3 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chemistry students in 2019-2020.

Caltech also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $3,756 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national 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. The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full California Institute of Technology General Chemistry Report

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 101 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k list, SDSU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,594 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at San Diego State University

#9

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 92 students in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $11,895 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at UCSB

#10

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#18 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,151 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Chemistry at University of California - Riverside

#6 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,769 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Davis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 University of California - Davis

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $7,823 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 more about General Chemistry at Sac State

#9 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,974 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 UCSD General Chemistry Report

#14

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#24 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 72 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,869 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full CSUSB General Chemistry Report

#25 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 9 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $3,880 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full California State University - Bakersfield General Chemistry Report

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chemistry students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 California State University - Long Beach

With a ranking of #17, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUDH is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $3,115 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills General Chemistry Report

#16 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 15 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $10,347 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 CSUSM

#19

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,793 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Santa Cruz General Chemistry Report

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California State University - Fresno General Chemistry Report

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chemistry students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $3,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Stan State General Chemistry Report

#11 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 27 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,680 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#19 in overall quality

University of California - Merced landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

UC Merced also made our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $11,565 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Merced.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Chemistry at UC Merced

#12 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $9,630 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Cal Poly Pomona General Chemistry Report

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Camarillo, California, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUCI also made our “Best General Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Channel Islands is $11,497 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Channel Islands General Chemistry Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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