University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chemistry: earnings, debt & careers

Chemistry graduates of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn a median $64,981 four years after graduating ($32,516 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $14,250. That is $1,505 below the U.S. median for Chemistry graduates ($66,486 across 209 colleges), and ranks 4th of 9 North Carolina colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$64,981

U.S. median for this major: $66,486.

College Scorecard field of study; 81 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$32,516

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$14,250

About 22% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $23,600.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$11,655 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $26,055. College Scorecard.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chemistry: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduates$64,981
North Carolina median (9 colleges)$63,288 (+$1,693)
U.S. median (209 colleges)$66,486 (−$1,505)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Chemistry nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$2,004$8,176under 1 year
$30–48k$3,918$15,985under 1 year
$48–75k$8,538$34,8351.1 years
$75–110k$16,415$66,9732.1 years
$110k+$24,396$99,5363.2 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (86% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Chemistry graduates 4 years after graduating ($64,981) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $31,465 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Chemistry at North Carolina colleges

Every North Carolina college we cover that reports Chemistry graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1North Carolina State University at Raleigh$76,978$20,154$17,30385%
2East Carolina University$71,445$24,250$15,73963%
3University of North Carolina Wilmington$65,982$19,935$20,10971%
4University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill$64,981$14,250$11,65591%
5University of North Carolina at Pembroke$63,288$25,766$10,26044%
6University of North Carolina at Charlotte$60,978$26,000$15,43569%
7University of North Carolina Asheville$60,021$12,825$12,25054%
8Appalachian State University$58,329$24,949$16,83675%
9Western Carolina University$51,213$20,824$13,31560%

32 more North Carolina colleges offer Chemistry but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Chemistry graduates

Chemist

Durham area$81,580
North Carolina$82,620
U.S.$91,240

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

Durham area$57,870
North Carolina$57,650
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Data Scientists

Durham area$106,500
North Carolina$119,090
U.S.$120,230

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 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Related majors at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chemistry questions

How much do University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chemistry graduates earn?

Chemistry graduates of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn a median $64,981 four years after graduating and $32,516 one year after. The U.S. median for Chemistry graduates across 209 colleges is $66,486.

How much debt do University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chemistry graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Chemistry graduates of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $14,250, about 22% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,600.

Is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill a good school for Chemistry in North Carolina?

On pay, Chemistry graduates of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn $64,981 four years out, $1,693 above the median for the same major across 9 North Carolina colleges ($63,288) and $1,505 below the U.S. median ($66,486). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill rank for Chemistry in North Carolina?

Of 9 North Carolina colleges reporting Chemistry graduate earnings, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranks 4th. The highest is North Carolina State University at Raleigh at $76,978.

What jobs do Chemistry graduates get?

A common career is chemist, with a median wage of $81,580 in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 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
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Cite this: “University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chemistry: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill/majors/chemistry (College Scorecard and BLS data).