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2024 Best Chemistry Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges in Illinois
922 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$51,011 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in chemistry, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #51 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Chemistry Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 922 degrees in chemistry to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Chemistry School

Best Chemistry Schools in Illinois The chemistry program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Chemistry rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for chemistry schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Chemistry Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Chemistry
Master's Degrees in Chemistry
Doctor's Degrees in Chemistry

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 the Best Chemistry Schools in Illinois. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Chemistry in Illinois

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the chemistry degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Illinois Schools in Chemistry

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
146 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$36,403 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in chemistry has to look into University of Chicago. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 146 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, chemistry degree recipients generally earn about $36,403 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of Chicago

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$72,080 Median Starting Salary

Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in chemistry. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 62 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Chemistry degree recipients from Northwestern University earn a boost of about $21,069 above the typical income of chemistry majors.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Northwestern University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
194 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$65,477 Median Starting Salary

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in chemistry. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 194 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Those chemistry students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive $14,466 more than the average chemistry student.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
14.7% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat Illinois Institute of Technology if you want to pursue a degree in chemistry. Illinois Tech is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago. This school ranks 9th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 34 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at Illinois Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Chemistry degree recipients from Illinois Institute of Technology earn a boost of about $27,322 above the average income of chemistry graduates.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Illinois Institute of Technology

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$37,122 Median Starting Salary
$26,000 Median Student Debt

Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 26 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the chemistry program make about $37,122 for their early career.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Loyola University Chicago

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
18.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 54 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the chemistry program earn around $36,142 for their early career.

More information about a degree in chemistry from University of Illinois at Chicago

7

Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the midsize suburb of Normal. This university ranks 8th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 29 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the chemistry program earn an average of $44,522 for their early career.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Illinois State University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$38,243 Median Starting Salary

SIUE is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Edwardsville. This university ranks 31st out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 41 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the chemistry program make an average of $38,243 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
$35,020 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 39th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 33 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at WIU in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the chemistry program make around $35,020 for their early career.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Western Illinois University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Chemistry Degrees Awarded
18.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 24th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 44 chemistry students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, chemistry degree recipients typically earn around $31,230 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in chemistry from Northern Illinois University

Best Chemistry Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Chemistry Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 563
Ohio 314 846
Indiana 294 533
Wisconsin 273 406

View All Rankings >

Chemistry is one of 8 different types of Physical Sciences programs to choose from.

Chemistry Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Chemistry 857
Other Chemistry 41
Analytical Chemistry 21
Chemical Physics 2
Environmental Chemistry 1

View All Chemistry Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Physics 483
Geological & Earth Sciences 140
Astronomy & Astrophysics 74
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 42
General Physical Sciences 24
Materials Sciences 2
Other Physical Science 1

View All Chemistry Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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