U.S. median for this major: $66,486.
College Scorecard field of study
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 23% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $23,600.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $27,780. College Scorecard.
Chemistry at California colleges
Every California college we cover that reports Chemistry graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley | $82,386 | $11,172 | $13,481 | 93% |
| 2 | California State University-Northridge | $79,878 | — | $7,021 | 57% |
| 3 | University of California-San Diego | $77,249 | $16,100 | $12,470 | 86% |
| 4 | University of California-Irvine | $74,810 | $13,276 | $14,251 | 87% |
| 5 | University of California-Santa Barbara | $74,713 | $15,805 | $16,109 | 83% |
| 6 | San Diego State University | $74,676 | $17,499 | $15,364 | 76% |
| 7 | California State University-Sacramento | $74,430 | $27,749 | $9,338 | 56% |
| 8 | California State University-Stanislaus | $73,392 | — | $6,067 | 53% |
| 9 | University of California-Davis | $73,365 | $14,000 | $14,741 | 86% |
| 10 | University of California-Los Angeles | $72,220 | $14,137 | $12,548 | 93% |
| 11 | University of California-Santa Cruz | $71,348 | $15,000 | $17,890 | 75% |
| 12 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | $70,741 | $23,750 | $11,531 | 68% |
| 13 | California State University-Long Beach | $67,818 | $15,680 | $10,440 | 69% |
| 14 | California State University-Fullerton | $64,857 | $18,675 | $6,555 | 70% |
| 15 | University of California-Riverside | $64,131 | $21,750 | $14,304 | 76% |
| 16 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $63,882 | $15,259 | $16,665 | 86% |
| 17 | California State University-San Bernardino | $63,496 | $16,553 | $4,564 | 55% |
| 18 | California State University-Channel Islands | $58,498 | $21,375 | $9,849 | 51% |
| 19 | University of California-Merced | $56,888 | $15,000 | $11,983 | 69% |
| 20 | University of Southern California | $54,966 | — | $32,740 | 92% |
| 21 | California State University-Los Angeles | $51,747 | $11,000 | $3,967 | 53% |
| 22 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | $50,579 | $24,000 | $13,171 | 49% |
| 23 | California State University-Fresno | $45,522 | $17,500 | $7,000 | 57% |
40 more California colleges offer Chemistry but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Chemistry graduates
Chemist
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +6.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Data Scientists
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +34.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at San Diego State University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About San Diego State University
- Acceptance rate: 36% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 76% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $64,909
- Full cost breakdown · all 79 majors · overview
Related majors at San Diego State University
- Biology$68,861
- Physics—
- Physical Sciences—
- Geology / Earth Science$73,647
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
San Diego State University Chemistry questions
How much do San Diego State University Chemistry graduates earn?
Chemistry graduates of San Diego State University earn a median $74,676 four years after graduating and $43,603 one year after. The U.S. median for Chemistry graduates across 209 colleges is $66,486.
How much debt do San Diego State University Chemistry graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Chemistry graduates of San Diego State University is $17,499, about 23% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,600.
Where does San Diego State University rank for Chemistry in California?
Of 23 California colleges reporting Chemistry graduate earnings, San Diego State University ranks 6th. The highest is University of California-Berkeley at $82,386.
What jobs do Chemistry graduates get?
A common career is chemist, with a median wage of $95,160 in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA area and $91,240 nationally. Others include secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education and data scientists.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “San Diego State University Chemistry: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/san-diego-state-university/majors/chemistry (College Scorecard and BLS data).