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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemistry (Income $0-$30k) in California

30 Ranked Colleges
1,781 Degrees Awarded
$7,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Chemistry is the 44th most popular major in the country with 21,951 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, chemistry graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $38,704 and had an average of $22,279 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 3,425 chemistry graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,305 and $18,032 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,781 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 $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 30 colleges that offered a degree in chemistry. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent chemistry programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the chemistry program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Chemistry Schools

The chemistry school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. 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 $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemistry (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. 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 Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $-1,387 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

With a 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 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Chemistry at Stanford University

#2

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. Caltech is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k list, Caltech has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,456 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Caltech.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 94%.

Read more about Chemistry at California Institute of Technology

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 129 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Chemistry at University of California - Berkeley

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 148 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Irvine.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemistry at UC Irvine

#5

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

UCLA also made our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Chemistry at UCLA

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #5 spot on the 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Chemistry Report

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 24 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State LA has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $1,379 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Chemistry at Cal State LA

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 101 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Chemistry at SDSU

#9

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 100 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chemistry students in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, 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%.

Read full report on Chemistry at UCSB

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Davis has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $9,842 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Chemistry at UC Davis

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $8,366 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Read more about Chemistry at University of California - Riverside

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 259 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #9 spot in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $9,280 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 full report on Chemistry at University of California - San Diego

California State University - Sacramento landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. 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 also made our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Chemistry Report

#14

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

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 $0-$30k ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 72 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 California State University - San Bernardino Chemistry Report

California State University - Long Beach came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full CSULB Chemistry Report

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $3,423 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUB.

Read full report on Chemistry at CSUB

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 $0-$30k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Chemistry at CSUDH

#16 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUSM has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,517 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemistry at California State University - San Marcos

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Chemistry at Cal Poly Pomona

#20

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 62 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Read more about Chemistry at UC Santa Cruz

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. 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 $3,264 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Chemistry at California State University - Fresno

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chemistry students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Read full report on Chemistry at California State University - Stanislaus

#11 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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 students.

Read full report on Chemistry at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

University of California - Merced came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s chemistry students in 2019-2020.

UC Merced also made our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend UC Merced is $10,782 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemistry at UC Merced

California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. California State University - Channel Islands is a medium-sized public school situated in Camarillo, California. It awarded 38 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUCI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUCI is $10,131 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemistry at CSUCI

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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