by our College Data Analytics Team
[Chemistry](/majors/physical-sciences/chemistry/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The schools below stand out for the salaries their chemistry graduates go on to command.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 100 schools on the early-career earnings of their chemistry graduates.
What’s on this page:
Where you study chemistry affects what graduates go on to earn. That is why we developed our Highest Paid Chemistry Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its chemistry graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Learn more about our methodology
We offer a number of rankings, including this Highest Paid Chemistry Graduates list, to help you decide. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Read more about College Factual’s methodology
If you want to know which schools send chemistry graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in chemistry, no school beat California Institute Of Technology this year. Set in the city of Pasadena, California Institute Of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Chemistry graduates of California Institute Of Technology earn a median of about $133,219 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #2 makes Carnegie Mellon University one of the highest-paying schools for chemistry. Set in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit institution. Chemistry graduates of Carnegie Mellon University earn a median of about $92,818 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Massachusetts Amherst one of the highest-paying schools for chemistry. Located in the city of Amherst, University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a public institution. After graduating, chemistry degree recipients from University Of Massachusetts Amherst typically earn about $85,801 annually.
University Of Colorado Denver came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemistry schools. University Of Colorado Denver is a public school located in the city of Denver. Early-career chemistry graduates from University Of Colorado Denver make a median of around $85,398 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in chemistry will find them at William Paterson University Of New Jersey, which ranked #5. Set in the suburb of Wayne, William Paterson University Of New Jersey is a public institution. After graduating, chemistry degree recipients from William Paterson University Of New Jersey typically earn about $84,306 annually.
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University Of New Hampshire Main Campus landed the #6 spot for chemistry salaries this year. Set in the town of Durham, University Of New Hampshire Main Campus is a public institution. Chemistry graduates of University Of New Hampshire Main Campus earn a median of about $82,691 a year early in their careers.
Lindenwood University earned the #7 position for chemistry graduate earnings this year. Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Charles. Early-career chemistry graduates from Lindenwood University make a median of around $80,526 per year.
Northeastern University landed the #8 spot for chemistry salaries this year. Set in the city of Boston, Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, chemistry degree recipients from Northeastern University typically earn about $104,663 annually.
Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College placed #9 among the highest-paying schools for chemistry. Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College is a public school located in the city of Baton Rouge. Students who complete the chemistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $79,995.
Wake Forest University landed the #10 spot for chemistry salaries this year. Located in the city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the chemistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $74,850.
Indiana State University placed #11 among the highest-paying schools for chemistry. Located in the city of Terre Haute, Indiana State University is a public institution. Students who complete the chemistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $73,702.
Butler University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying chemistry schools. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Butler University is a private not-for-profit institution. Chemistry graduates of Butler University earn a median of about $73,619 a year early in their careers.
Suny At Geneseo came in at #13 for chemistry graduate earnings this year. Suny At Geneseo is a public school located in the town of Geneseo. After graduating, chemistry degree recipients from Suny At Geneseo typically earn about $70,829 annually.
East Stroudsburg University Of Pennsylvania placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for chemistry. Set in the town of East Stroudsburg, East Stroudsburg University Of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Students who complete the chemistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $70,629.
Wright State University Main Campus landed the #15 spot for chemistry salaries this year. Wright State University Main Campus is a public school located in the suburb of Dayton. Chemistry graduates of Wright State University Main Campus earn a median of about $70,096 a year early in their careers.
Worcester State University landed the #16 spot for chemistry salaries this year. Located in the city of Worcester, Worcester State University is a public institution. Students who complete the chemistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $69,948.
University Of Wisconsin La Crosse earned the #17 position for chemistry graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of La Crosse, University Of Wisconsin La Crosse is a public institution. Students who complete the chemistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $69,147.
Le Moyne College landed the #18 spot for chemistry salaries this year. Le Moyne College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Syracuse. Chemistry graduates of Le Moyne College earn a median of about $68,501 a year early in their careers.
Baylor University placed #19 among the highest-paying schools for chemistry. Baylor University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waco. Students who complete the chemistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $68,294.
California State University Bakersfield came in at #20 for chemistry graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Bakersfield, California State University Bakersfield is a public institution. Early-career chemistry graduates from California State University Bakersfield make a median of around $68,270 per year.
Northwestern University landed the #21 spot for chemistry salaries this year. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. Early-career chemistry graduates from Northwestern University make a median of around $161,473 per year.
Eastern Washington University earned the #22 position for chemistry graduate earnings this year. Eastern Washington University is a public school located in the town of Cheney. Students who complete the chemistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $67,089.
The Richard Stockton College Of New Jersey landed the #23 spot for chemistry salaries this year. Set in the rural area of Galloway, The Richard Stockton College Of New Jersey is a public institution. Chemistry graduates of The Richard Stockton College Of New Jersey earn a median of about $66,593 a year early in their careers.
Bridgewater State University landed the #24 spot for chemistry salaries this year. Located in the suburb of Bridgewater, Bridgewater State University is a public institution. Students who complete the chemistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $82,869.
Clemson University placed #25 among the highest-paying schools for chemistry. Set in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a public institution. Chemistry graduates of Clemson University earn a median of about $66,215 a year early in their careers.
These schools rounded out the top of this year’s highest-paid chemistry ranking:
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A few more high-earning chemistry schools worth a look:
| Rank | College | Location | Avg Salary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #51 | University Of Illinois At Chicago | Chicago, IL | $62,220 | Full Report |
| #52 | University Of Wisconsin Madison | Madison, WI | $73,896 | Full Report |
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries chemistry graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 100 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.
