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Chemical analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chemical analyst. Chemical analysts usually study chemistry, biology, or chemical engineering. 76% of chemical analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 892 real chemical analyst resumes to see exactly what chemical analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for chemical analysts are the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico and the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico.

There are also many online chemical analyst courses to help get the education required to be a chemical analyst.

What education do you need to become a chemical analyst?

What degree do you need to be a chemical analyst?

The most common degree for chemical analysts is bachelor's degree, with 76% of chemical analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 76%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a chemical analyst?

You should major in chemistry to become a chemical analyst. 33% of chemical analysts major in chemistry. Other common majors for a chemical analyst include biology and chemical engineering.

Most common colleges for chemical analysts

Chemical analysts often get their degrees at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, University of Pittsburgh, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Here are the most common colleges for chemical analysts in the US based on their resumes.
Chemical analyst common collegePercentages
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico7.61%
University of Pittsburgh6.52%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill6.52%
Central State University5.43%
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus5.43%

Best majors for chemical analysts

Best colleges for chemical analysts

The best colleges for chemical analysts are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A chemical analyst with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chemical analysts. 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 chemical analysts.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

20 best online courses for chemical analysts

Advertising disclosure

1. Chemical Biology

coursera

Chemical biology is a burgeoning field that has rapidly risen to prominence. This surge of interest has been fuelled by chemical biology’s applicability to understanding critical processes in live cells or model organisms in real time. This success has arisen because chemical biology straddles a nexus between chemistry, biology, and physics. Thus, chemical biology can harness rapid chemistry to observe or perturb biological processes, that are in turn reported using physical assays, all in an...

2. Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics 2

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An appreciation of thermodynamics is required to become a chemical and biomolecular engineer. Thermodynamics can assess the viability of a process and is one of the curriculum's most essential topics. The principles are utilized in following engineering courses (kinetics, mass transfer, design, materials) and are applicable to numerous engineering disciplines. The increased emphasis on energy usage and transformation as a result of rising demand, diminishing supply, and global warming...

3. Process/Chemical Engineering - BOOTCAMP 2021

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4.2
(448)

The only course with over 10 hours practical knowledge about main process equipment Design, Control and Safety...

4. Unit Operations in Chemical Engineering

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4.4
(711)

Learn the most important Unit Operations in Chemical Plants...

5. Healthier Materials and Sustainable Building

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In the Healthier Materials and Sustainable Building specialization, you learn about healthier building materials, exploring subjects ranging from classification of toxic chemicals to new green innovations. You start by investigating the intersection of building materials and human health. Then, you learn how chemistry and toxicology affect the built world. Next, you examine design specifications from a healthier materials perspective. Finally, you employ cutting-edge practices to execute a...

6. Materials Science for Advanced Technological Applications

coursera

This specialization extends upon the initial introduction specialization, and like the other specialization, it introduces a limited number of new materials science and engineering concepts. Presentations are at the concept level without being marred in heavy mathematics. Topics in this specialization topic include strengthening of metal, polymers, ceramic materials, and composite. Some of the position titles that may benefit from this course include Materials Engineer, Chemical Engineer,...

7. Complete General Chemistry 20+ hours of lectures & examples

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4.1
(330)

Master General Chemistry in 4 weeks by solving examples & problems! Rahsoft Chemical Engineering Department RAHCH101...

8. Aromatherapy-Make Your Own Chemical Free Cleaning Products

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4.7
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Using Aromatherapy And Essential Oils, Make Your Own 100% Natural Cleaning Products To Clean Your Entire Home Easily...

9. Transmission electron microscopy for materials science

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Learn about the fundamentals of transmission electron microscopy in materials sciences: you will be able to understand papers where TEM has been used and have the necessary theoretical basis for taking a practical training on the TEM. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in the field of materials science. For an instrument operated by a single user, modern TEM provides an analytical platform with unsurpassed versatility, giving access to...

10. Aspen Plus V11 Masterclass: From beginner to advanced user

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4.7
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Steady-State Chemical Engineering Simulation & Process Modeling using Aspen Plus V11...

11. Addiction & Mental Health - Chemically Speaking Two (2hrs)

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4.7
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Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions - Understand Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health. How to help people...

12. Business Analytics: Excel, Stats & Looker Studio [3-in-1]

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4.4
(319)

Essential skills for a business analyst: MS Excel for Data Analysis + Google Looker Studio for Viz + Business Statistics...

13. Data Analyst Skillpath: Zero to Hero in Excel, SQL & Python

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4.5
(2,721)

Begin data analytics by learning Excel, SQL, Python, Analytics & ML concepts from scratch. Must-know for a data analyst...

14. Advanced Process Control & Safety Instrumented Systems SIS

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4.5
(783)

Learn how the main process equipment such as chemical reactors , pumps , compressors & heat exchangers are controlled...

15. Statistics for Business Analytics using MS Excel

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4.5
(481)

Learn how probability & statistics is used for business & business strategy. Make statistical business models in Excel...

16. The Business Intelligence Analyst Course 2023

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4.6
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The skills you need to become a BI Analyst - Statistics, Database theory, SQL, Tableau – Everything is included...

17. Diploma in Luxury Facial, Facial Machines, Chemical Peeling

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CPDLearning Basic & Advanced techniques in facials with 5 stars client satisfaction everytime and achieve facial results...

18. HR Analytics using MS Excel for Human Resource Management

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4.4
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Use Excel for HR Analytics, calculate HR metrics, build HR dashboards & ML models for Human Resource & People Analytics...

19. Data Analyst Skillpath: Excel, SQL & ML with Python in हिंदी

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Learn data analytics by learning Excel, SQL, Python, Analytics & ML concepts from scratch in Hindi...

20. Chemistry 101 - Part 1 Principles of Chemistry

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4.3
(414)

An introductory course for anybody who wants to study chemistry - either towards future pathways or just for fun!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for chemical analysts

The most affordable schools for chemical analysts are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for chemical analysts 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 chemical analysts.

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chemical analysts

The hardest universities for chemical analysts to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for chemical analysts 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 chemical analysts 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chemical analysts

The easiest schools for chemical analysts to get into are Barry University, d'youville college, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chemical analyst 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 chemical analysts.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

5. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

Average chemical analyst salary by education level

Chemical analysts with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $54,441 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, chemical analysts earn a median annual income of $53,446 compared to $53,036 for chemical analysts with an High School Diploma degree.
Chemical analyst education levelChemical analyst salary
High School Diploma or Less$53,036
Bachelor's Degree$53,446
Some College/ Associate Degree$54,441

Chemical analyst education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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