by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 153 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for chemistry students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,246 master's degrees in chemistry to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of chemistry for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality chemistry program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for chemistry students working on their master's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Chemistry Master's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in chemistry. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in chemistry has to take a look at University of Chicago. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of Chicago
Stanford University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in chemistry. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford.More information about a master’s in chemistry from Stanford University
Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in chemistry. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.More information about a master’s in chemistry from Northwestern University
Cornell University is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing a master's degree in chemistry. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca.More information about a master’s in chemistry from Cornell University
Located in the large city of Chicago, Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
Master's recipients from the chemistry major at Illinois Institute of Technology make $20,948 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in chemistry from Illinois Institute of Technology
Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore.More information about a master’s in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University
U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
UCSD is a very large public university located in the large city of La Jolla.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of California - San Diego
Located in the suburb of Storrs, UCONN is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of Connecticut
Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
UMCP is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of College Park.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of Maryland - College Park
Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of Notre Dame
Northeastern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston.More information about a master’s in chemistry from Northeastern University
UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of California - Berkeley
Located in the city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of Rochester
Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population.
Those chemistry students who get their master's degree from The University of Texas at Austin receive $14,351 more than the average chemistry graduate.
More information about a master’s in chemistry from The University of Texas at Austin
Boston U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston.More information about a master’s in chemistry from Boston University
Ohio State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Columbus.More information about a master’s in chemistry from Ohio State University - Main Campus
Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in chemistry from University of California - Santa Barbara
Here are some additional great schools for Chemistry students that almost earned our Best Chemistry Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA |
| 27 | University of California - Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 28 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA |
| 29 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | Baton Rouge, LA |
| 30 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC |
| 23 | University of Delaware | Newark, DE |
| 24 | Purdue University - Main Campus | West Lafayette, IN |
| 25 | California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA |
View the Best Chemistry Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
Chemistry is one of 8 different types of Physical Sciences programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Chemistry | 2,104 |
| Polymer Chemistry | 55 |
| Other Chemistry | 29 |
| Analytical Chemistry | 22 |
| Chemical Physics | 14 |
| Environmental Chemistry | 11 |
| Forensic Chemistry | 11 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Physics | 1,949 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 1,663 |
| Materials Sciences | 270 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 213 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 187 |
| Other Physical Science | 148 |
| General Physical Sciences | 75 |
| Physics and Astronomy | 9 |
