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2023 Most Focused Colleges for General Chemistry in California

136 Ranked Colleges
3,013 Degrees Awarded
$36,700 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California” ranking.

General Chemistry is the 43rd most popular major in the country with 20,056 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across California, there were 3,013 general chemistry graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California” ranking analyzed 136 colleges that offered a degree in general chemistry. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in general chemistry.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california chemistry students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for General Chemistry in California

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Chemistry at Caltech

2
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. Pomona is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 18 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Pomona College General Chemistry Report

3
Westmont crest
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Westmont College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California. Westmont College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at Westmont College

4
Harvey Mudd College crest
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvey Mudd College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California. Harvey Mudd College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on General Chemistry at Harvey Mudd College

5
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Whittier College
Whittier, California

Out of the 136 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Whittier College landed the #5 spot on the list. Whittier is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Whittier, California. It awarded 9 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at Whittier College

6

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. UC Merced is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at UC Merced

7
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University of Saint Katherine
San Marcos, California

University of Saint Katherine did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. University of Saint Katherine is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about General Chemistry at University of Saint Katherine

8
PUC crest
Pacific Union College
Angwin, California

Pacific Union College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. Pacific Union College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Angwin, California. It awarded 5 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Full PUC General Chemistry Report

9
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Occidental College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. Occidental College is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 8 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Occidental College General Chemistry Report

10
Orange Coast College crest
Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa, California

Orange Coast College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. Orange Coast College is located in Costa Mesa, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 81 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

Read more about General Chemistry at Orange Coast College

11
San Diego Miramar College crest
San Diego Miramar College
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #11, San Diego Miramar College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. San Diego Miramar College is a fairly large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 27 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on General Chemistry at San Diego Miramar College

12

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #12. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 93 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at University of California - Santa Cruz

13
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, California

Scripps College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 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.

Full Scripps General Chemistry Report

14

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 116 degrees to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about General Chemistry at UCSB

15

University of California - San Diego landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 172 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Chemistry at UCSD

16
Irvine Valley College crest
Irvine Valley College
Irvine, California

With a ranking of #16, Irvine Valley College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. Located in Irvine, California, this fairly large public school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

Read more about General Chemistry at Irvine Valley College

17
DUofC crest
Dominican University of California
San Rafael, California

With a ranking of #17, Dominican University of California did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. Dominican University of California is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Rafael, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full DUofC General Chemistry Report

18

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. CSUCI is located in Camarillo, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 California State University - Channel Islands

19

University of California - Irvine landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 170 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Irvine General Chemistry Report

20

University of California - Riverside landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. University of California - Riverside is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 98 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, 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%.

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

21
Evergreen Valley College crest
Evergreen Valley College
San Jose, California

Evergreen Valley College ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. Evergreen Valley College is located in San Jose, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

Read more about General Chemistry at Evergreen Valley College

22
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 58 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Stanford General Chemistry Report

23
Solano College crest
Solano Community College
Fairfield, California

Solano Community College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Fairfield, California, and it awarded 22 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about General Chemistry at Solano Community College

24
Cuyamaca College crest
Cuyamaca College
El Cajon, California

Cuyamaca College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #24. El Cajon, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

Full Cuyamaca College General Chemistry Report

25

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 170 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Chemistry at University of California - Berkeley

Notes and References

References

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