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

30 Ranked Colleges
1,781 Degrees Awarded
$8,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 $30-$48k” 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 $30-$48k” 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.

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 chemistry program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Chemistry Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college 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. 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.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemistry (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 18 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, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,145 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The impressive 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 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 Chemistry at Stanford University

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 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 129 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, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $9,130 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Chemistry at University of California - Berkeley

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

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. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chemistry students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $9,254 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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 low 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%.

Read full report on Chemistry at University of California - Los Angeles

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. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees 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 Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend 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 more about Chemistry at Cal State LA

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 also took the #13 spot in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $6,100 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Chemistry Report

University of California - Irvine ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 148 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Irvine.

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 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%.

Full UC Irvine Chemistry Report

#7

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#3 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech also made our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $3,756 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 94%. 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%. 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.

Read full report on Chemistry at California Institute of Technology

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 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 Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $10,594 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 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 full report on Chemistry at San Diego State University

#9

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

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. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 100 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

UCSB also made our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 91%.

Read full report on Chemistry at University of California - Santa Barbara

#10

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

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 located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $9,151 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 91%. 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 full report on Chemistry at UCR

University of California - Davis ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis also made our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $10,769 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemistry at University of California - Davis

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for 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%.

Full Sac State Chemistry Report

University of California - San Diego ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 259 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,974 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 94%. 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 UCSD

#14

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB also made our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $5,869 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Chemistry at CSUSB

California State University - Bakersfield 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 #15. California State University - Bakersfield is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Read more about Chemistry at CSUB

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. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full California State University - Long Beach Chemistry Report

California State University - Dominguez Hills 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 #17. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,115 for california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

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 landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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 $30-$48k list, CSUSM has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $10,347 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Chemistry at CSUSM

#19

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

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. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 62 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chemistry students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $11,793 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Chemistry Report

California State University - Fresno ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,731 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fresno Chemistry Report

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $3,958 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 87%. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Stan State Chemistry Report

#11 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. 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.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Chemistry at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

University of California - Merced came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Merced is $11,565 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Chemistry at University of California - Merced

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 61 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chemistry students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $9,630 for California Bachelor’s Degree Chemistry students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

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 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Chemistry Report

California State University - Channel Islands ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Chemistry Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Camarillo, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 38 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chemistry students in 2019-2020.

CSUCI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Chemistry Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUCI 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%.

Read more about Chemistry at California State University - Channel Islands

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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