What Makes a College One of the Best Colleges for Chemistry Majors?
Almost every college teaches chemistry, but the major is only as strong as the laboratory time and research it guarantees. The best colleges for chemistry majors make research part of the degree rather than an extra a student has to find alone. Five things separate them.
- ACS certification. The American Chemical Society approves departments that meet its guidelines, and a certified degree guarantees a defined set of advanced courses and laboratory hours.
- Research access. Georgia Tech requires research of every Chemistry BS student, more than 80 UNC students do chemistry research each year, and 90 percent of Pomona majors do a summer research project.
- A thesis or honors path. Princeton requires a senior thesis of every chemistry major, Reed requires one of every student, and Rice asks honors students for 15 hours a week in the lab.
- Tracks that match the goal. Biochemistry, chemical biology, materials, and environmental chemistry tracks let students aim the degree at medicine, industry, or graduate school.
- Facilities undergraduates use. Berkeley lets honors students work with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists, and Reed students have access to a 400 MHz NMR and a nuclear reactor.
Which Colleges Are Best for Chemistry?
The table below lists the best colleges for chemistry with the degree each one offers, named the way the university names it, and one concrete feature taken from its own pages. Schools are grouped by type and selectivity, and each linked school name leads to our analysis of its acceptance rate or admissions.
| University | Undergraduate degree | What stands out for undergraduates | Selectivity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caltech | Chemistry Option (Biochemistry Track available) | A three-term senior thesis is optional in chemistry and required on the Biochemistry Track; SURF fellows received $8,110 for ten weeks in 2026 | Most selective |
| MIT | Chemistry, SB (Course 5, Standard or ChemFlex); Chemistry and Biology, SB (Course 5-7) | The Course 5 SB is certified by the American Chemical Society | Most selective |
| Harvard University | Chemistry concentration | The basic track is 12 to 14 courses and honors is 14; seniors in Chemistry 99r may write a thesis | Most selective |
| Stanford University | Chemistry, BS | At least 89 units; honors requires a 3.3 science GPA, 9 research units, and a senior thesis | Most selective |
| Princeton University | Chemistry, AB | Four semesters of independent work and a required senior thesis; ACS certification is optional | Most selective |
| University of Chicago | Chemistry, BA; ACS-Accredited BS in Chemistry; BS with Specialized Track; Biological Chemistry, BS | The ACS-Accredited BS typically requires at least 12 chemistry courses; honors requires a research paper and oral presentation | Most selective |
| Northwestern University | Chemistry major, with concentrations from Biochemistry to Materials and Nanotechnology | An ACS-certified curriculum; honors requires two quarters of original research and a senior thesis | Most selective |
| Yale University | Chemistry: BA; BS; intensive BS; combined BS/MS | The intensive BS requires two terms of independent research, a capstone report, and a presentation | Most selective |
| Columbia University | Chemistry; Biochemistry; Chemical Physics; Environmental Chemistry (majors) | Departmental honors go to 10 percent of graduating majors, who need at least a 3.6 major GPA and strong research | Most selective |
| Cornell University | Chemistry, BA | A 60-credit major; from 2026-27, honors requires a 3.3 chemistry GPA and a thesis or research proposal | Most selective |
| Rice University | Chemistry, BS | 69 credit hours, including 8 hours of research; honors requires 15 hours a week in the lab and a formal thesis | Most selective |
| Duke University | Chemistry, BS or BA (concentrations include Biochemistry and Pharmacology) | Graduation with distinction requires research and a thesis; the department says about 40% of its majors enroll in medical school | Most selective |
| Johns Hopkins University | Chemistry, BS | A 70-credit degree; honors requires a 3.75 science and math GPA, or a 3.5 plus two semesters of research | Most selective |
| UC Berkeley | Chemistry, BS; Chemistry, BA; Chemical Biology, BS | Honors requires a 3.4 GPA, two terms of research, and a thesis; the research adviser can be a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientist | Highly selective |
| UCLA | Chemistry; Biochemistry; Chemistry-Materials Science; General Chemistry (majors) | The Departmental Scholars Program lets students earn a BS and MS simultaneously; it requires a 3.5 major GPA | Most selective |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Chemistry, BS (Specialized Curriculum) | ACS-certified; distinction requires research, a senior thesis, and a major GPA of 3.25, 3.5, or 3.75 for its three levels | Selective |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | Chemistry, BS | ACS certification adds courses, including biochemistry, and at least 375 laboratory hours; honors requires a two-semester thesis | Selective |
| UNC Chapel Hill | Chemistry, BS (standard, Biochemistry, or Polymer track) | More than 80 students do chemistry research each year; honors requires a 3.40 chemistry GPA and a thesis | Highly selective |
| UT Austin | Chemistry, BS (six degree plans, including Chemistry Honors) | Six degree plans; the honors plan requires the Dean’s Scholars Honors Program and an approved honors thesis | Highly selective |
| Purdue University | Chemistry (ACS), BSCH; Biochemistry (Chemistry), BSCH; Chemistry, BS; Science Education, BS | Two of the four chemistry degrees are ACS-accredited | Selective |
| Georgia Tech | Chemistry, BS; Biochemistry, BS | Every Chemistry BS student does research, and every concentration except the Pre-health Option meets ACS certification | Highly selective |
| UC San Diego | Chemistry; Biochemistry; Environmental Chemistry; Molecular Synthesis; Pharmacological Chemistry (all BS) | Chemistry and Molecular Synthesis are automatically ACS-certified; honors requires two quarters of research and an oral report | Highly selective |
| Texas A&M University | Chemistry, BS; Chemistry, BA | The BS General Track meets ACS requirements, and most BS students start research in junior year | Selective |
| Harvey Mudd College | Chemistry major; joint majors in Chemistry and Biology and in Chemistry and Climate | The standard major meets ACS certification with no extra coursework and includes senior research | Most selective |
| Williams College | Chemistry major | Nine semester courses in an ACS-approved program; honors is earned through Senior Research and Thesis | Most selective |
| Pomona College | Chemistry major (ACS-certified track optional) | 90% of chemistry majors do a Summer Undergraduate Research Project | Most selective |
| Swarthmore College | Chemistry course major; Biochemistry and Chemical Physics special majors; honors majors | Students earn an ACS-certified degree by completing an independent research project | Most selective |
| Carleton College | Chemistry major; ACS Certified Chemistry major | Up to 20 students from all class years do summer research on campus most years | Highly selective |
| Reed College | Chemistry, BA; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Chemistry-Environmental Studies | Every Reed student writes a two-semester senior thesis; instruments include a 400 MHz NMR and a 250-kilowatt nuclear reactor | Selective |
| Penn State | Chemistry, BS, with four focus options | The ACS-certified version adds biological chemistry, chemical literature, and two extra lab credits, usually research | Selective |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | Chemistry major: General ACS, Chemical Biology, Environmental, Business/Law, or Chemical Physics option | Three of the five options lead to ACS-certified degrees; honors requires a 3.4 major GPA and senior research | Selective |
| Indiana University Bloomington | Chemistry, BA or BS; Biochemistry, BA or BS | Both BS degrees are ACS-certified; the department has 37 full-time research faculty | Less selective |
What Is an ACS-Certified Chemistry Degree?
An ACS-certified degree is a chemistry bachelor’s degree from a department approved by the American Chemical Society, completed along a set of courses and laboratory requirements the department has matched to ACS guidelines. Wisconsin, for example, says its department “is approved by the American Chemical Society (ACS) to certify the degrees of graduating students,” and its certified track adds courses, including biochemistry, and at least 375 laboratory hours (University of Wisconsin-Madison). Colleges handle certification differently. Harvey Mudd’s standard chemistry major meets the requirements with no extra coursework (Harvey Mudd College), UC San Diego certifies its Chemistry and Molecular Synthesis majors automatically, and Swarthmore students earn certification by completing an independent research project.
Elsewhere certification is a choice. Purdue accredits two of its four chemistry degrees, Rutgers three of its five chemistry options, and Georgia Tech every Chemistry BS concentration except the Pre-health Option, while Princeton and Pomona make certification optional. For a student heading to graduate school or an industry laboratory, the certified track is the safer choice, because it guarantees the advanced courses and laboratory hours those readers expect.
Which Highly Selective Universities Have the Strongest Chemistry Programs?
The most selective private universities differ most in how much research they require. Princeton chemistry majors complete four semesters of independent work and a required senior thesis (Princeton University). Rice’s 69-hour BS includes 8 hours of research, and its honors program requires at least 15 hours a week in the lab and a formal thesis. Stanford asks honors students for a 3.3 science GPA, 9 research units, and a thesis, and Northwestern requires two quarters of original research for honors. Columbia awards departmental honors to 10 percent of graduating majors, who need at least a 3.6 GPA in major courses (Columbia College Bulletin). At Harvard and Caltech the thesis is optional for most chemistry students, though Caltech requires one on its Biochemistry Track.
Several of these universities also offer more than one degree. Chicago offers a BA, an ACS-Accredited BS, a BS with a Specialized Track, and a BS in Biological Chemistry, and Yale offers a BA, a BS, an intensive BS, and a combined BS/MS. MIT’s Course 5 degree is ACS-certified, and Caltech’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships paid $8,110 for ten weeks in 2026 (Caltech SURF). Duke offers both a BS and a BA, and the department says “about 40% of our majors enroll in medical school” (Duke Chemistry).
Which Public Universities Are Best for Chemistry?
Public research universities offer large departments and national laboratory access. Berkeley honors students need a 3.4 GPA, two terms of research, and a thesis, and their research adviser can be a staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Illinois’s Chemistry BS is ACS-certified and awards distinction at three GPA levels for students who complete research and a senior thesis. UNC reports that more than 80 students do chemistry research each year (UNC Catalog), and every Chemistry BS student at Georgia Tech does research as part of the degree.
Publics also offer the widest range of chemistry majors. UC San Diego offers five, from Biochemistry to Pharmacological Chemistry, and UCLA’s Departmental Scholars Program lets students with a 3.5 major GPA earn a BS and an MS at the same time. UT Austin offers six degree plans for its Chemistry BS, including an honors plan, and Texas A&M says most of its BS students start research in their junior year.
Which Liberal Arts Colleges Are Best for Chemistry?
Liberal arts colleges give chemistry majors faculty attention and early research. Ninety percent of Pomona chemistry majors do a Summer Undergraduate Research Project (Pomona College), and Carleton has up to 20 students from all class years doing summer research on campus most years. Reed requires every student to write a two-semester senior thesis, and its chemistry instruments include a 400 MHz NMR and a 250-kilowatt nuclear reactor (Reed College). Williams runs an ACS-approved nine-course major, and Harvey Mudd’s standard major meets ACS certification and includes senior research. Our guide to liberal arts colleges versus research universities covers the trade-offs between the two settings.
Should a Student Major in Chemistry or Biochemistry?
Biochemistry is large enough to count separately: NCES recorded 9,354 bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry in 2020-21, classified under the biological sciences (NCES). Many universities on this list offer it inside the chemistry department, including Columbia, UC San Diego, Georgia Tech, Indiana, and Purdue, whose Biochemistry (Chemistry) degree is ACS-accredited. A student aiming at materials, physical chemistry, or a chemistry PhD should usually choose chemistry; a student drawn to molecular biology or medicine often fits biochemistry better.
Both majors are common routes to medical school. Our guides to the best pre-med majors and the best colleges for pre-med explain how medical schools read a chemistry or biochemistry degree.
What Can You Do With a Chemistry Degree?
Chemists and materials scientists earned a median of $95,060 in 2025, held 93,500 jobs, and are projected to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,500 openings a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unlike many science careers, the typical entry-level education is a bachelor’s degree (BLS). Chemistry majors also go on to PhD programs, medical and pharmacy school, materials and energy companies, and patent law.
Summer research is the bridge from coursework to those careers. The National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates program “supports active research participation by undergraduate students” in the fields it funds, at universities across the country (NSF REU).
How Do You Judge a Chemistry Program Beyond the Rankings?
- Check ACS certification. Ask whether the degree is certified automatically, as an optional track, or not at all.
- Count the research. Look for required research credits, the share of majors who do summer research, and whether first- and second-year students can join labs.
- Read the honors rules. GPA cutoffs, thesis requirements, and lab hours show how seriously the department treats independent work.
- Compare the tracks. Biochemistry, chemical biology, materials, and environmental tracks should match the career the student has in mind.
- Ask about instruments. Undergraduates who run NMR, mass spectrometry, and X-ray instruments themselves graduate with skills employers and graduate programs value.
What Do Admissions Officers Look for in a Chemistry Applicant?
Chemistry applicants are read alongside other science applicants at most universities. What stands out is strong mathematics and laboratory science, plus evidence that a student has done real chemistry outside the classroom.
- Coursework. AP Chemistry, AP Calculus BC, and AP Physics, with AP Biology for students leaning toward biochemistry.
- Competitions. The U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad, run by the American Chemical Society, is the clearest outside measure of chemistry ability in high school.
- Research. A summer research program such as RSI or the Simons Summer Research Program, or a project entered in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, shows what a student can do in a lab.
- Independent projects. Our guide to research opportunities for high school students explains how to find a lab or mentor.
Oriel Admissions builds this record with students who start in 9th or 10th grade: a math and science sequence that reaches AP Chemistry and calculus, one sustained research project, and a competition result that confirms the coursework. Our high school research mentorship and our guide to intended major strategy explain how that record fits a declared science major.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Colleges for Chemistry Majors
There is no single answer, because the best colleges for chemistry majors depend on whether a student wants a research university, a public flagship, or a liberal arts college. Among the most selective universities, Caltech, MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and Chicago combine deep faculties with research. Among public universities, Berkeley, Illinois, Wisconsin, UNC, and Georgia Tech offer ACS-certified degrees and large research programs. Among liberal arts colleges, Harvey Mudd, Pomona, Williams, and Reed build research into the major.
Colleges awarded 13,962 undergraduate degrees in chemistry in 2020-21, down from 14,343 the year before, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Another 9,354 students earned degrees in biochemistry that year.
It is a chemistry degree from a department approved by the American Chemical Society, completed along a track that meets ACS course and laboratory requirements. At Wisconsin the certified track adds courses, including biochemistry, and at least 375 laboratory hours. Some colleges certify the standard major automatically, and others offer certification as an option.
The BS usually requires more advanced chemistry, mathematics, and laboratory work, and it is the stronger choice for graduate school or industry. The BA leaves more room for a second major or for pre-health courses. Where a college offers an ACS-certified track, that track matters more than the letters on the degree.
Georgia Tech requires research of every Chemistry BS student, 90 percent of Pomona chemistry majors do a summer research project, more than 80 UNC students do chemistry research each year, and every Reed student writes a senior thesis. Caltech paid its summer research fellows 8,110 dollars for ten weeks in 2026.
It is one of the most common. Duke says about 40 percent of its chemistry majors enroll in medical school. Medical schools require chemistry and biochemistry coursework, so chemistry and biochemistry majors cover much of it within the major.
Chemists and materials scientists earned a median of 95,060 dollars in 2025, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 7 percent growth from 2025 to 2035. The typical entry-level education is a bachelor degree. Graduates also go on to PhD programs, medical and pharmacy school, and patent law.
Take AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, and AP Physics, prepare for the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad, and complete one research project with real laboratory or data work. Oriel Admissions plans this sequence with students starting in 9th or 10th grade.
Sources: NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2022, Table 325.72, NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2022, Table 318.30, BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Chemists and Materials Scientists, NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Caltech Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships, University of Wisconsin-Madison: Chemistry, BS, Harvey Mudd College: ACS-Certified Degree, Princeton University: Department of Chemistry, Columbia College Bulletin: Chemistry, UNC Catalog: Chemistry Major, BS, Duke Chemistry: Undergraduate, Pomona College: Chemistry, Reed College: Chemistry, NCES College Navigator
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