Top 15 Best Colleges for Chemistry Majors
Chemistry majors in college will study the foundations of the field, including:
- General chemistry
- Organic chemistry
- Advanced inorganic chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Physical chemistry
- Quantum chemistry
Because of lab work and assignments, students will be well-versed in problem-solving, analytical thinking, collaboration, and advanced math and science skills.
Studying chemistry opens up a variety of career paths, including teaching, medical school, scientific research, consulting in STEM, and any product design job involving chemistry (such as petroleum and oil).
If you’re a high school student considering a chemistry major, here are the top 15 schools in the country to get a quality education, plus what it takes to get accepted. See the complete list of best colleges for Chemistry majors.
Top 15 Best Colleges for Chemistry Majors
Click on the school to jump to a link where you can learn more about the college and what it takes to get in.
| School Name | Location | Acceptance Rate (2019) | Middle 50% SAT Scores | Middle 50% ACT Scores |
| 1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA | 6.7% | 1520-1580 | 34-36 |
| 2. California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | 6.4% | 1530-1570 | 35-36 |
| 3. Princeton University | Princeton, NJ | 5.8% | 1460-1570 | 33-35 |
| 4. Harvard University | Cambridge, MA | 4.5% | 1460-1580 | 33-35 |
| 5. University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | 6.2% | 1500-1560 | 33-35 |
| 6. Stanford University | Stanford, CA | 4.3% | 1440-1550 | 32-35 |
| 7. Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA | 15.4% | 1460-1560 | 33-35 |
| 8. Rice University | Houston, TX | 8.7% | 1470-1560 | 33-35 |
| 9. University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 7.7% | 1460-1550 | 33-35 |
| 10. Duke University | Durham, NC | 7.8% | 1500-1560 | 33-35 |
| 11. Williams College | Williamstown, MA | 12.6% | 1420-1540 | 32-35 |
| 12. Columbia University | New York, NY | 5.3% | 1480-1560 | 33-35 |
| 13. Yale University | New Haven, CT | 6.1% | 1470-1560 | 33-35 |
| 14. Washington University in St. Louis | St. Louis, MO | 14% | 1480-1550 | 33-35 |
| 15. UC Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | 16.8% | 1350-1540 | 30-35 |
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Location: Cambridge, MA
Acceptance Rate: 6.7%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 4,602
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1520-1580 SAT, 34-36 ACT
Learn more about MIT and what it takes to get accepted.
2. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Location: Pasadena, CA
Acceptance Rate: 6.4%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 948
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1530-1570 SAT, 35-36 ACT
Learn more about Caltech and what it takes to get accepted.
3. Princeton University
Location: Princeton, NJ
Acceptance Rate: 5.8%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 5,267
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1460-1570 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Princeton and what it takes to get accepted.
4. Harvard University
Location: Cambridge, MA
Acceptance Rate: 4.5%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 6,788
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1460-1580 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Harvard and what it takes to get accepted.
5. University of Chicago
Location: Chicago, IL
Acceptance Rate: 6.2%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 6,552
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1500-1560 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about UChicago and what it takes to get accepted.
6. Stanford University
Location: Stanford, CA
Acceptance Rate: 4.3%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 7,087
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1440-1550 SAT, 32-35 ACT
Learn more about Stanford and what it takes to get accepted.
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Acceptance Rate: 15.4%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 6,947
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1470-1560 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Carnegie Mellon and what it takes to get accepted.
8. Rice University
Location: Houston, TX
Acceptance Rate: 8.7%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 3,992
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1470-1560 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Rice and what it takes to get accepted.
9. University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Acceptance Rate: 7.7%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 10,183
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1460-1550 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about UPenn and what it takes to get accepted.
10. Duke University
Location: Durham, NC
Acceptance Rate: 7.8%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 6,682
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1500-1560 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Duke and what it takes to get accepted.
11. Williams College
Location: Williamstown, MA
Acceptance Rate: 12.6%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 2,073
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1420-1540 SAT, 32-35 ACT
Learn more about Williams and what it takes to get accepted.
12. Columbia University
Location: New York, NY
Acceptance Rate: 5.3%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 6,202
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1480-1560 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Columbia and what it takes to get accepted.
13. Yale University
Location: New Haven, CT
Acceptance Rate: 6.1%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 5,964
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1470-1560 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about Yale and what it takes to get accepted.
14. Washington University in St. Louis (WashU)
Location: St. Louis, MO
Acceptance Rate: 14%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 7,751
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1480-1550 SAT, 33-35 ACT
Learn more about WashU and what it takes to get accepted.
15. UC Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, CA
Acceptance Rate: 16.8%
Total Undergrad Enrollment: 30,853
Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1350-1540 SAT, 30-35 ACT
Learn more about UC Berkeley and what it takes to get accepted.
There are many more schools that are great for Chemistry majors. See the complete list of best colleges for chemistry.
Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges across the U.S. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!
