Best Chemist programs in Michigan, ranked by enrollment
Conduct qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses or experiments in laboratories for quality or process control or to develop new products or.
32 schools in Michigan run programs that feed this job, graduating 569 people a year. The job pays a median of $97,440 in Michigan across about 3,490 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Michigan that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
8 programs in Michigan that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Michigan (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Michigan page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemistry, Generalmain feeder CIP 40.0501In Michigan → | 472 | 83.0% | 30 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 2 | Chemistry, Othermain feeder CIP 40.0599In Michigan → | 52 | 9.1% | 6 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 3 | Polymer Chemistrymain feeder CIP 40.0507In Michigan → | 14 | 2.5% | 1 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 4 | Forensic Chemistrymain feeder CIP 40.0510In Michigan → | 13 | 2.3% | 1 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 5 | CIP 51.2004In Michigan → | 9 | 1.6% | 2 | $48,728 | $23,761 |
| 6 | Environmental Chemistrymain feeder CIP 40.0509In Michigan → | 6 | 1.1% | 2 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 7 | CIP 40.1002In Michigan → | 2 | 0.4% | 1 | $72,216 | $24,750 |
| 8 | Chemical Physicsmain feeder CIP 40.0508In Michigan → | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
Top 25 schools in Michigan
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 6 of the 32 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 3 feeder programs | 171 | Chemistry, General | — | 93% | — | 16% |
| 2 | Wayne State University Detroit, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 102 | Chemistry, General | $35,813 | 58% | — | 81% |
| 3 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 67 | Chemistry, General | $39,531 | 81% | — | 85% |
| 4 | Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 22 | Chemistry, General | — | 68% | — | 92% |
| 5 | Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Chemistry, General | $45,060 | 46% | — | 80% |
| 6 | Hope College Holland, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Chemistry, General | $21,199 | 80% | $21,746 | 79% |
| 7 | Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Chemistry, General | $39,940 | 76% | $19,279 | 75% |
| 8 | Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 17 | Forensic Chemistry | — | 52% | — | 84% |
| 9 | Lake Superior State University Sault Ste Marie, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Chemistry, Other | — | 51% | — | — |
| 10 | Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 16 | Chemistry, General | — | 58% | — | 88% |
| 11 | Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 13 | Chemistry, General | $46,496 | 67% | — | 83% |
| 12 | University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Chemistry, General | — | 67% | $16,109 | 75% |
| 13 | Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 10 | Chemistry, General | — | 48% | — | 72% |
| 14 | Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 8 | Chemistry, Other | — | 47% | — | 91% |
| 15 | Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Chemistry, General | — | 90% | — | 21% |
| 16 | Albion College Albion, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Chemistry, General | — | 62% | $16,537 | 81% |
| 17 | Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Chemistry, General | — | 58% | — | 85% |
| 18 | Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Chemistry, General | — | 74% | $22,391 | 71% |
| 19 | Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 5 | Chemistry, General | — | 59% | — | 90% |
| 20 | University of Michigan - Dearborn Dearborn, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Chemistry, General | — | 58% | — | 56% |
| 21 | Alma College Alma, MI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 4 | Chemistry, General | — | 63% | $22,790 | 57% |
| 22 | Siena Heights University Adrian, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Chemistry, General | — | 39% | $17,015 | 69% |
| 23 | Adrian College Adrian, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Chemistry, General | — | 48% | $20,357 | 73% |
| 24 | Henry Ford College Dearborn, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Chemistry, General | — | 17% | — | — |
| 25 | Lawrence Technological University Southfield, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Chemistry, General | — | 61% | $32,679 | 56% |
All 32 schools in Michigan
Every school in Michigan with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor | Public | 171 | 3 |
| Wayne State University | Detroit | Public | 102 | 2 |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing | Public | 67 | 2 |
| Michigan Technological University | Houghton | Public | 22 | 2 |
| Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti | Public | 18 | 1 |
| Hope College | Holland | Private not-for-profit | 18 | 1 |
| Kalamazoo College | Kalamazoo | Private not-for-profit | 17 | 1 |
| Northern Michigan University | Marquette | Public | 17 | 2 |
| Lake Superior State University | Sault Ste Marie | Public | 16 | 1 |
| Oakland University | Rochester Hills | Public | 16 | 2 |
| Grand Valley State University | Allendale | Public | 13 | 2 |
| University of Detroit Mercy | Detroit | Private not-for-profit | 11 | 1 |
| Saginaw Valley State University | University Center | Public | 10 | 2 |
| Ferris State University | Big Rapids | Public | 8 | 2 |
| Hillsdale College | Hillsdale | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 1 |
What chemists earn in Michigan
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $91,240. Michigan pays above the national figure.
Concentrated here: Michigan employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Michigan
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Chemists page.
How to become a Chemist
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Michigan
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 14 majors mapped to Chemists13 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 40.0501Chemistry, General
- 40.0502Analytical Chemistry
- 40.0503Inorganic Chemistry
- 40.0504Organic Chemistry
- 40.0506Physical Chemistry
- 40.0507Polymer Chemistry
- 40.0508Chemical Physics
- 40.0509Environmental Chemistry
- 40.0510Forensic Chemistry
- 40.0511Theoretical Chemistry
- 40.0512Cheminformatics/Chemistry Informatics(no graduates reported)
- 40.0599Chemistry, Other
- 40.1002Materials Chemistry
- 51.2004Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Common questions
Answers for people weighing chemists programs in Michigan.
What degree do you need to become a Chemist?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Chemistry, General, which awarded 472 degrees in Michigan in 2024-25, 83.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Chemist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 8 programs to this occupation. The largest are Chemistry, Pharmacy, Materials Sciences. Together they graduate about 569 people a year in Michigan.
How much do chemists earn in Michigan?+
The median is $97,440 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 6.8% above the U.S. median of $91,240. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for chemists growing?+
BLS projects a +4.9% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 6,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Michigan?+
32 institutions in Michigan reported graduates from at least one of the 8 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do chemists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Chemist, Scientist, Research Chemist, Analytical Chemist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-2031.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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