Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Organic chemist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an organic chemist. Organic chemists usually study chemistry, biology, or biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology. 76% of organic chemists hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 548 real organic chemist resumes to see exactly what organic chemist education sections show.
The most common colleges for organic chemists are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online organic chemist courses to help get the education required to be an organic chemist.
What education do you need to become an organic chemist?
What degree do you need to be an organic chemist?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 13%
- Doctorate, 7%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become an organic chemist?
Most common colleges for organic chemists
| Organic chemist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 9.64% |
| Western Washington University | 7.23% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 7.23% |
| University of South Florida | 6.02% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 6.02% |
Best majors for organic chemists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemistry | 63.6% |
| 2 | Biology | 13.5% |
| 3 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 4.6% |
| 4 | Environmental Science | 2.9% |
| 5 | Chemical Engineering | 2.4% |
Best colleges for organic chemists
The best colleges for organic chemists are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.
An organic 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 organic 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 organic chemists.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
20 best online courses for organic chemists
Advertising disclosure
1. Sample-based Learning Methods
In this course, you will learn about several algorithms that can learn near optimal policies based on trial and error interaction with the environment---learning from the agent’s own experience. Learning from actual experience is striking because it requires no prior knowledge of the environment’s dynamics, yet can still attain optimal behavior. We will cover intuitively simple but powerful Monte Carlo methods, and temporal difference learning methods including Q-learning. We will wrap up this...
2. Organic Chemistry: Spectroscopy Master Class
Gain confidence in NMR (1H and 13C), IR, and MS with guided practice problems...
3. Business Analytics Complete Course
Learn Business Analytics with complete Hands on Exercises...
4. Business Data Analytics (IIBA®-CBDA Exam preparation)
IIBA® endorsed course. Learn how to apply analysis skills on data projects and prepare for an IIBA®-CBDA certification...
5. Web Analytics & Digital Marketing Analytics - Zero to Hero
Web Analytics course before Google Analytics - Guide & process blueprint for Web Analytics & Digital Marketing Analytics...
6. Marketing Analytics: Stand Out by Becoming an Analytics Pro!
Marketing requires a new, analytical breed of professionals. Be at the forefront of your profession...
7. Statistics for Business Analytics using MS Excel
Learn how probability & statistics is used for business & business strategy. Make statistical business models in Excel...
8. HR Analytics using MS Excel for Human Resource Management
Use Excel for HR Analytics, calculate HR metrics, build HR dashboards & ML models for Human Resource & People Analytics...
9. Workforce Analytics for HR
Learn how to use analytics to translate HR data into financial impact. Johnson & Johnson alumni & 15+ yrs of experience...
10. ISTQB Foundation Level Syllabus Sample Exams
New Sample exams to help you in passing the ISTQB-FL exam...
11. GA4 Mastery + Pass Google Analytics Certification Exam
Master Google Analytics 4, pass the Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ) exam, get a Google Partner Badge!...
12. Hands-On HR Analytics Online Course for Human Resources
People Analytics & Analytical Process to Human Capital XL & Open Source Data Mining & ML Tools 6 Data Assignments...
13. Google Analytics for Beginners - Zero to Hero
Google Analytics Training - Beginners Guide to GA Reports and their Application for Web Analytics and Digital Marketing...
14. ISTQB Agile Tester Sample Exams
The best way to prepare for the ISTQB Agile Tester Exam...
15. HR & People Data and Analytics Fundamentals
Discover the building blocks of HR data analytics and use them to help your organization thrive & make better decisions...
16. Google Analytics 4 for Beginners - New Google Analytics
Start using the latest version of Google Analytics Reports called GA4 with confidence...
17. Introduction to Business Analytics
How to Build a Profitable and Winning Company Using Business Analytics...
18. Introduction to Business Analytics
Develop essential data analytics skills to grow your business...
19. Google Analytics for Beginners - Master Google Analytics
Learn Google Analytics - Become an Expert in Web & Marketing Analytics in this Best-Selling Google Analytics Course!...
20. HR Analytics Using Excel For Beginners
This course is a Beginners guide to HR Analytics Using Excel...
Top 10 most affordable universities for organic chemists
The most affordable schools for organic chemists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for organic 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 organic 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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
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 - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for organic chemists
The hardest universities for organic chemists to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for organic 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 organic 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for organic chemists
The easiest schools for organic chemists to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an organic 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 organic chemists.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
10. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
Average organic chemist salary by education level
| Organic chemist education level | Organic chemist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $81,602 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $68,764 |
| Doctorate Degree | $99,117 |
Organic chemist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
Search for organic chemist jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025