by our College Data Analytics Team
[Chemistry](/majors/physical-sciences/chemistry/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a chemistry degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying chemistry schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send chemistry graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemistry schools in Virginia. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a public school located in the city of Blacksburg. Students who complete the chemistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $70,473.
A rank of #2 makes George Mason University one of the highest-paying schools for chemistry. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a public institution. Early-career chemistry graduates from George Mason University make a median of around $60,676 per year.
College Of William And Mary came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemistry schools. Located in the suburb of Williamsburg, College Of William And Mary is a public institution. Early-career chemistry graduates from College Of William And Mary make a median of around $80,208 per year.
Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemistry schools. Set in the city of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution. Students who complete the chemistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $63,326.
Students chasing top earnings in chemistry will find them at Christopher Newport University, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Newport News, Christopher Newport University is a public institution. Early-career chemistry graduates from Christopher Newport University make a median of around $61,514 per year.
University Of Virginia Main Campus earned the #6 position for chemistry graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Charlottesville, University Of Virginia Main Campus is a public institution. After graduating, chemistry degree recipients from University Of Virginia Main Campus typically earn about $69,058 annually.
James Madison University came in at #7 for chemistry graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Harrisonburg, James Madison University is a public institution. Early-career chemistry graduates from James Madison University make a median of around $45,799 per year.
Radford University earned the #8 position for chemistry graduate earnings this year. Radford University is a public school located in the town of Radford. Early-career chemistry graduates from Radford University make a median of around $39,090 per year.
University Of Richmond earned the #9 position for chemistry graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of University of Richmond, University Of Richmond is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the chemistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $22,881.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their chemistry graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 9 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.