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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Chemistry

1,384 Ranked Colleges
21,239 Degrees Awarded
$27,900 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 21,239 people earned their degree in chemistry, making the major the 51st most popular in the United States. 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.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major” ranking looked at 1,384 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in chemistry. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their chemistry program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for chemistry students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Chemistry

1
Haverford crest
Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Haverford College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major list. This small school is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 34 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Chemistry at Haverford College

2
K College crest
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kalamazoo College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major. K College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 46 ’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%.

Read more about Chemistry at K College

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Puerto Rico - Humacao. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major list. University of Puerto Rico - Humacao is a small public school situated in Humacao, . It awarded 39 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Chemistry at UPR Humacao

4

Out of the 1,384 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #4 spot on the list. California Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 32 ’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. 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 California Institute of Technology

5
Wesleyan crest
Kentucky Wesleyan College
Owensboro, Kentucky

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kentucky Wesleyan College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major. Wesleyan is located in Owensboro, Kentucky and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s chemistry degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Chemistry at Kentucky Wesleyan College

6
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Ripon College
Ripon, Wisconsin

Ripon College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major ranking, coming in at #6. Ripon, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemistry at Ripon College

7
Rhodes College crest
Rhodes College
Memphis, Tennessee

Rhodes College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 27 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Rhodes College Chemistry Report

8
XULA crest
Xavier University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana

Xavier University of Louisiana did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major ranking, coming in at #8. New Orleans, Louisiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Chemistry at XULA

9
West Virginia Wesleyan crest
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Buckhannon, West Virginia

West Virginia Wesleyan College ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major list. West Virginia Wesleyan is a small school located in Buckhannon, West Virginia that handed out 14 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Chemistry at West Virginia Wesleyan College

10
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Monmouth College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major list. Monmouth is a small school located in Monmouth, Illinois that handed out 12 ’s chemistry degrees 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Monmouth College

11
Tougaloo crest
Tougaloo College
Tougaloo, Mississippi

With a ranking of #11, Tougaloo College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major list. Tougaloo College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tougaloo, Mississippi. It awarded 7 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Tougaloo College Chemistry Report

12
Bethany College West Virginia crest
Bethany College West Virginia
Bethany, West Virginia

Bethany College West Virginia did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Bethany, West Virginia, and it awarded 5 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Bethany College West Virginia Chemistry Report

13
Reed crest
Reed College
Portland, Oregon

With a ranking of #13, Reed College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major list. Located in Portland, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Chemistry at Reed College

14
Alma crest
Alma College
Alma, Michigan

Alma College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major ranking. Alma is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Alma, Michigan. It awarded 18 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full Alma Chemistry Report

15
Washington College crest
Washington College
Chestertown, Maryland

Washington College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major ranking. Washington College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chestertown, Maryland. It awarded 17 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Washington College

16
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major ranking. Beloit is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Beloit, Wisconsin. It awarded 15 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 90%.

Read full report on Chemistry at Beloit College

17
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major ranking. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 degrees to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Chemistry at Pomona

18
Whitman crest
Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington

Whitman College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major ranking, coming in at #18. Walla Walla, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Whitman College Chemistry Report

19

University of Minnesota - Morris came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major ranking. UMN Morris is a small public school situated in Morris, Minnesota. It awarded 13 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 UMN Morris

20
Dillard University crest
Dillard University
New Orleans, Louisiana

Dillard University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it awarded 8 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Dillard University Chemistry Report

21
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Carleton College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major ranking. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 21 ’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. 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Chemistry at Carleton College

22
Presentation College crest
Presentation College
Aberdeen, South Dakota

With a ranking of #22, Presentation College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major list. This small school is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and it awarded 7 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Chemistry at Presentation College

22
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major ranking. Williamstown, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s chemistry degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Williams Chemistry Report

24
Westmont crest
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

Westmont College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified ’s chemistry students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Chemistry at Westmont

24
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

With a ranking of #24, Princeton University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major list. Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 83 ’s chemistry degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 more about Chemistry at Princeton University

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania
27
Randolph - Macon crest
Randolph - Macon College
Ashland, Virginia
28
29
Erskine crest
Erskine College
Due West, South Carolina
30
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Northland College
Ashland, Wisconsin
31
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
32
33
Lake Superior State University crest
Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
34
Hendrix crest
Hendrix College
Conway, Arkansas
35
Holy Cross crest
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, Massachusetts
36
Hope crest
Hope College
Holland, Michigan
37
Wofford crest
Wofford College
Spartanburg, South Carolina
38
Shepherd University crest
Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, West Virginia
39
Bryn Mawr crest
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
39
Salem crest
Salem College
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
41
42
Skidmore crest
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, New York
43
Ursinus crest
Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania
44
Hanover crest
Hanover College
Hanover, Indiana
45
46
Carlow crest
Carlow University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
47
48
Carroll Montana crest
Carroll College
Helena, Montana
49
Geneva crest
Geneva College
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
50
Rust College crest
Rust College
Holly Springs, Mississippi

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Chemistry Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Fisk University Nashville, TN
52 Davidson College Davidson, NC
53 Lycoming College Williamsport, PA
54 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
55 Lyon College Batesville, AR
55 Centre College Danville, KY
57 Berea College Berea, KY
58 Randolph College Lynchburg, VA
59 Bates College Lewiston, ME
60 Johnson C Smith University Charlotte, NC
61 University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR
62 University of Rio Grande Rio Grande, OH
63 Juniata College Huntingdon, PA
64 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
65 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
Rank College Location
66 Kansas Wesleyan University Salina, KS
67 University of California - Merced Merced, CA
68 Newberry College Newberry, SC
69 University of Guam Mangilao, GU
70 Wheaton College Massachusetts Norton, MA
70 Transylvania University Lexington, KY
72 University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg Greensburg, PA
72 Bloomfield College Bloomfield, NJ
74 Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH
75 Wells College Aurora, NY
76 University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras San Juan, PR
77 Wayne State College Wayne, NE
78 United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD
79 Franklin College Franklin, IN
79 Furman University Greenville, SC
81 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
82 Texas Lutheran University Seguin, TX
83 Alcorn State University Alcorn State, MS
84 Auburn University at Montgomery Montgomery, AL
85 Goucher College Baltimore, MD
86 Lawrence University Appleton, WI
86 Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN
88 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
89 College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN
90 Smith College Northampton, MA
Rank College Location
91 Colby College Waterville, ME
92 University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, AR
93 John Carroll University University Heights, OH
94 Hollins University Roanoke, VA
95 University of North Carolina at Asheville Asheville, NC
96 Hunter College New York, NY
97 Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA
98 Whitworth University Spokane, WA
99 Drury University Springfield, MO
99 Hampden - Sydney College Hampden-Sydney, VA
99 Houghton College Houghton, NY
102 Greenville University Greenville, IL
103 University of Chicago Chicago, IL
104 Meredith College Raleigh, NC
105 Emory University Atlanta, GA
106 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
107 Cedar Crest College Allentown, PA
108 Spelman College Atlanta, GA
109 Lander University Greenwood, SC
110 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
111 Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA
112 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
113 University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH
114 Whittier College Whittier, CA
115 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
Rank College Location
116 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
117 Rice University Houston, TX
117 Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN
119 Alabama State University Montgomery, AL
120 Fort Lewis College Durango, CO
121 University of Saint Katherine San Marcos, CA
122 Morningside College Sioux City, IA
123 Blackburn College Carlinville, IL
124 Delaware State University Dover, DE
125 Amherst College Amherst, MA
126 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
127 Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, LA
128 Emory and Henry College Emory, VA
129 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
130 Martin Methodist College Pulaski, TN
130 Bethany College Kansas Lindsborg, KS
132 Carthage College Kenosha, WI
133 Ferrum College Ferrum, VA
134 Willamette University Salem, OR
135 Northern State University Aberdeen, SD
136 University of Pittsburgh - Bradford Bradford, PA
137 Morehouse College Atlanta, GA
138 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
139 University of South Carolina - Aiken Aiken, SC
140 Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN
Rank College Location
141 University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA
142 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
143 Prairie View A & M University Prairie View, TX
144 Butler University Indianapolis, IN
145 Marietta College Marietta, OH
146 Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Bayamon Bayamon, PR
147 Southern Adventist University Collegedale, TN
148 Luther College Decorah, IA
149 University of Portland Portland, OR
150 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
151 Westminster College Pennsylvania New Wilmington, PA
152 Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Mansfield, PA
153 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
154 Inter American University of Puerto Rico - San German San German, PR
155 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
156 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
157 West Virginia State University Institute, WV
158 Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL
159 Pacific Union College Angwin, CA
160 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
161 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA
162 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
163 William Jewell College Liberty, MO
164 SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, NY
165 Barnard College New York, NY
Rank College Location
166 Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, MN
167 Virginia Wesleyan University Virginia Beach, VA
168 Missouri Western State University Saint Joseph, MO
169 Orange Coast College Costa Mesa, CA
170 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
171 Converse College Spartanburg, SC
172 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
172 Dominican University of California San Rafael, CA
174 Yale University New Haven, CT
175 Oklahoma Wesleyan University Bartlesville, OK
176 Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA
177 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
178 Mississippi Valley State University Itta Bena, MS
178 Waynesburg University Waynesburg, PA
180 University of Cincinnati - Blue Ash College Blue Ash, OH
181 Saint Martin’s University Lacey, WA
182 Knox College Galesburg, IL
183 San Diego Miramar College San Diego, CA
184 Le Moyne College Syracuse, NY
185 East Georgia State College Swainsboro, GA
186 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
187 Ouachita Baptist University Arkadelphia, AR
188 Western Colorado University Gunnison, CO
189 Wesleyan University Middletown, CT
190 Scripps College Claremont, CA
Rank College Location
191 Roanoke College Salem, VA
192 University of the Sciences Philadelphia, PA
193 Western Illinois University Macomb, IL
194 Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA
195 Millikin University Decatur, IL
196 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
197 Eastern Nazarene College Quincy, MA
198 Central State University Wilberforce, OH
199 Lewis University Romeoville, IL
200 Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH
201 Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI
202 Northwestern Oklahoma State University Alva, OK
203 Cornell University Ithaca, NY
204 Kentucky State University Frankfort, KY
205 Mount St Mary’s University Emmitsburg, MD
206 University of New Orleans New Orleans, LA
207 Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA
208 Walsh University North Canton, OH

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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