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Bench chemist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a bench chemist. Bench chemists usually study chemistry, biology, or biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology. 72% of bench chemists hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 140 real bench chemist resumes to see exactly what bench chemist education sections show.
The most common colleges for bench chemists are the Metropolitan State University of Denver and the Metropolitan State University of Denver.
There are also many online bench chemist courses to help get the education required to be a bench chemist.
What education do you need to become a bench chemist?
What degree do you need to be a bench chemist?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Associate, 13%
- Master's, 5%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a bench chemist?
Most common colleges for bench chemists
| Bench chemist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan State University of Denver | 10.71% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 10.71% |
| University of Florida | 7.14% |
| Southern University and A & M College | 7.14% |
| Hood College | 7.14% |
Best majors for bench chemists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemistry | 47.0% |
| 2 | Biology | 14.0% |
| 3 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 6.0% |
| 4 | Environmental Science | 5.0% |
| 5 | Chemical Engineering | 4.0% |
Best colleges for bench chemists
The best colleges for bench chemists are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.
A bench chemist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for bench chemists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become bench chemists.
1. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
20 best online courses for bench chemists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for bench chemists
The most affordable schools for bench chemists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and university of south florida.
If the best universities for bench chemists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for bench chemists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
7. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for bench chemists
The hardest universities for bench chemists to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for bench chemists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for bench chemists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for bench chemists
The easiest schools for bench chemists to get into are D'Youville College, wayland baptist university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a bench chemist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for bench chemists.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average bench chemist salary by education level
| Bench chemist education level | Bench chemist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,616 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,810 |
| Doctorate Degree | $72,446 |
Bench chemist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025