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2023 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for General Chemistry

196 Ranked Colleges
2,624 Degrees Awarded
$35,600 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,624 general chemistry graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate” ranking, we looked at 196 colleges that offer a degree in general chemistry. To top this list, a school must have a successful general chemistry program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 “Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree chemistry students.

1
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 58 doctorate’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about General Chemistry at Purdue

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 53 doctorate’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Full UC Berkeley General Chemistry Report

3

Out of the 196 schools in the Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 52 doctorate’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station General Chemistry Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s chemistry degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, 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%.

Full UCSD General Chemistry Report

5

Out of the 196 schools in the Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on General Chemistry at UW - Madison

6

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #6. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 44 doctorate’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 UIUC General Chemistry Report

7
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate ranking. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Chemistry at Northwestern

8

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 doctorate’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

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 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 U-M

8
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

With a ranking of #8, Stanford University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 42 doctorate’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Chemistry at Stanford

8

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 42 doctorate’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Chemistry at UCLA

8

With a ranking of #8, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 doctorate’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 Washington - Seattle Campus

12

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate list. MIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Full MIT General Chemistry Report

12

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 39 doctorate’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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Chemistry at UNC Chapel Hill

14

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s chemistry degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 UMN Twin Cities

14
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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%.

Full University of Chicago General Chemistry Report

14
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 35 degrees to qualified doctorate’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Michigan State General Chemistry Report

17
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Read more about General Chemistry at University of Florida

17

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate ranking. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Georgia Tech General Chemistry Report

19
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #19, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 31 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Chemistry at University of Southern California

19
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #19. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s chemistry degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 University of Pennsylvania General Chemistry Report

21
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #21. Yale is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Yale University

22

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 29 doctorate’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at UC Davis

22

With a ranking of #22, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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.

Read full report on General Chemistry at Ohio State

24
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate ranking. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 28 doctorate’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Cornell General Chemistry Report

25
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #25. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 25 doctorate’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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.

Read full report on General Chemistry at Emory

25

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate list. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 25 doctorate’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 97%.

Full UT Austin General Chemistry Report

25

With a ranking of #25, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s chemistry degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Chemistry at Indiana University - Bloomington

Rest of the Best 30 in Most Well Attended Chemistry Major for a Doctorate

Not only did these schools make the top 30 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

28
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
28
28
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
28
28
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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