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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Chemistry in California

26 Ranked Colleges
248 Degrees Awarded
$32,700 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Master'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. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 248 chemistry graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,974 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer a degree in chemistry. That schools that top this list have a program in chemistry in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for california master’s degree chemistry students.

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

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 52 masters’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 more about Chemistry at University of California - San Diego

2

Out of the 26 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Merced landed the #2 spot on the list. UC Merced is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 masters’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Merced Chemistry Report

3

Out of the 26 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 masters’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Chemistry at University of California - Los Angeles

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 - Irvine

5

Out of the 26 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 1 masters’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Caltech Chemistry Report

6

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #6. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 masters’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Chemistry Report

7

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 9 masters’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemistry at Cal State LA

8

With a ranking of #8, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 masters’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Read more about Chemistry at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

9
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified masters’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Chemistry at SFSU

10
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified masters’s chemistry students 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

11

California State University - Fresno came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 masters’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Fresno Chemistry Report

12

University of California - Riverside came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified masters’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCR Chemistry Report

13
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 4 masters’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Chemistry at Stanford University

14

With a ranking of #14, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 4 masters’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Cal State East Bay

15

California State University - San Marcos landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking. California State University - San Marcos is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 masters’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

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

16

With a ranking of #16, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 4 masters’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 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%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Chemistry Report

17

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 6 masters’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemistry at CSUN

18

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified masters’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Chemistry at Cal State Fullerton

19
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #19, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 masters’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad 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 San Jose State

20
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 masters’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemistry at SDSU

21

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 masters’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Chemistry Report

22

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #22. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 masters’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Chemistry at UC Davis

23

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California ranking, coming in at #23. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCSB Chemistry Report

24

California State University - Long Beach ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 4 masters’s chemistry degrees 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Chemistry at California State University - Long Beach

25

University of California - Berkeley ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Chemistry Major in California list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 4 degrees to qualified masters’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 more about Chemistry at University of California - Berkeley

Notes and References

References

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