Best Chemistry Degrees in the US by ROI
Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs Analyzed
26
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
+$756,726
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$36,819
Cost of attendance
| # | College | State | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The University of Texas at Austin
Grad rate: 87.7% |
TX | +$1,365,232 | $116,230 | $29,842 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
University of California-Berkeley
Grad rate: 93.5% |
CA | +$1,248,628 | $112,973 | $42,708 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
University of Florida
Grad rate: 90.7% |
FL | +$1,218,464 | $107,267 | $21,719 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
Northwestern University
Grad rate: 96.2% |
IL | +$1,171,224 | $118,122 | $87,804 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
California Institute of Technology
Grad rate: 93.6% |
CA | +$1,169,368 | $117,188 | $83,598 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
University of Arizona
Grad rate: 66.9% |
AZ | +$971,988 | $96,308 | $28,543 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Grad rate: 87.9% |
OH | +$855,260 | $90,627 | $29,320 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Grad rate: 66.8% |
CO | +$840,356 | $89,957 | $29,696 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
Purdue University-Main Campus
Grad rate: 83.1% |
IN | +$833,912 | $88,209 | $22,567 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
University of Oregon
Grad rate: 72.5% |
OR | +$829,496 | $90,002 | $32,636 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Grad rate: 89.3% |
WI | +$797,860 | $87,447 | $27,770 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
University of Missouri-Columbia
Grad rate: 75.7% |
MO | +$757,408 | $85,660 | $28,948 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
University at Buffalo
Grad rate: 73.5% |
NY | +$746,088 | $85,113 | $29,043 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Grad rate: 93.2% |
MI | +$709,800 | $84,159 | $33,345 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
University of California-Los Angeles
Grad rate: 92.6% |
CA | +$677,948 | $83,226 | $36,643 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
Indiana University-Bloomington
Grad rate: 81.2% |
IN | +$641,456 | $79,545 | $27,361 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
University of California-Davis
Grad rate: 85.7% |
CA | +$594,492 | $79,338 | $38,067 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Grad rate: 84.8% |
IL | +$583,644 | $77,609 | $32,134 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 19 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Grad rate: 95.5% |
MA | +$578,440 | $86,892 | $79,850 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 20 |
University of California-Irvine
Grad rate: 86.3% |
CA | +$566,616 | $77,555 | $36,121 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 21 |
Florida State University
Grad rate: 83.9% |
FL | +$552,548 | $74,364 | $23,683 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 22 |
University of California-Riverside
Grad rate: 76.3% |
CA | +$471,660 | $72,578 | $34,975 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 23 |
University of South Florida
Grad rate: 74.4% |
FL | +$456,916 | $69,306 | $22,301 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 24 |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Grad rate: 84.0% |
WA | +$414,532 | $68,783 | $30,282 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 25 |
University of California-San Diego
Grad rate: 87.7% |
CA | +$357,080 | $67,119 | $36,325 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 26 |
The University of Alabama
Grad rate: 73.2% |
AL | +$264,464 | $61,628 | $32,024 | N/A | Full ROI → |
How ROI is calculated
20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.
Find Best Chemistry Degrees by State
Browse Chemistry programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.