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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California

65 Ranked Colleges
1,830 Degrees Awarded
$36,963 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California

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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Chemistry is the 51st most popular major in the country with 21,239 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, chemistry graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $40,656 and had an average of $22,680 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 3,316 chemistry graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,709 and $17,837 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,830 chemistry graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,566 and $21,995 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California” ranking, we looked at 65 colleges that offer a degree in chemistry. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in chemistry.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Chemistry in California

1
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. Pomona is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s chemistry 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Pomona Chemistry Report

2
Westmont crest
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Westmont College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California. Westmont College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 14 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

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 more about Chemistry at Westmont College

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 311 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Chemistry at UCSD

4
Harvey Mudd College crest
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvey Mudd College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California. Harvey Mudd College is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 4 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Chemistry at Harvey Mudd College

5
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Whittier College
Whittier, California

Out of the 65 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Whittier College landed the #5 spot on the list. Whittier is located in Whittier, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemistry at Whittier College

6

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemistry at University of California - Merced

7
University of Saint Katherine crest
University of Saint Katherine
San Marcos, California

University of Saint Katherine came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. University of Saint Katherine is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Chemistry at University of Saint Katherine

8

California Institute of Technology landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Caltech Chemistry Report

9
PUC crest
Pacific Union College
Angwin, California

Pacific Union College ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. Pacific Union College is located in Angwin, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

Full Pacific Union College Chemistry Report

10
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Occidental College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. Oxy is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 8 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Oxy Chemistry Report

11
DUofC crest
Dominican University of California
San Rafael, California

Dominican University of California did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #11. Located in San Rafael, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Chemistry at DUofC

12
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, California

Scripps College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. Scripps College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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. 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%.

Read full report on Chemistry at Scripps College

13

California State University - Channel Islands landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. Camarillo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 California State University - Channel Islands

14

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 100 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 91%.

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

15

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #15. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Chemistry Report

16
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Chemistry at Humboldt State University

17

University of California - Irvine landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 125 bachelors’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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 Chemistry at UC Irvine

18

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemistry at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

19

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #19. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 45 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 more about Chemistry at CSUSB

20

University of California - Riverside landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 69 students 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 91%.

Full UCR Chemistry Report

21
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

Claremont McKenna College ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. Claremont McKenna College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 4 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Chemistry at Claremont McKenna College

22
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 92 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Diego State University Chemistry Report

23
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California

Pitzer College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #23. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s chemistry degrees to 2 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemistry at Pitzer College

24

University of California - Berkeley landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Chemistry at UC Berkeley

25
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

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 Chemistry at USFCA

Notes and References

References

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