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Physical chemistry teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a physical chemistry teacher. Physical chemistry teachers usually study chemistry, biology, or physics. 67% of physical chemistry teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 457 real physical chemistry teacher resumes to see exactly what physical chemistry teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for physical chemistry teachers are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.

There are also many online physical chemistry teacher courses to help get the education required to be a physical chemistry teacher.

What education do you need to become a physical chemistry teacher?

What degree do you need to be a physical chemistry teacher?

The most common degree for physical chemistry teachers is bachelor's degree, with 67% of physical chemistry teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 24% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 67%
  • Master's, 24%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Associate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a physical chemistry teacher?

You should major in chemistry to become a physical chemistry teacher. 26% of physical chemistry teachers major in chemistry. Other common majors for a physical chemistry teacher include biology and physics.

Most common colleges for physical chemistry teachers

Physical chemistry teachers often get their degrees at Texas A&M; University, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, and Texas Tech University. Here are the most common colleges for physical chemistry teachers in the US based on their resumes.
Physical chemistry teacher common collegePercentages
Texas A&M University11.69%
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler9.09%
Texas Tech University6.49%
Prairie View A & M University5.19%
Wayne State University5.19%

Best majors for physical chemistry teachers

RankMajorPercentages
1Chemistry25.9%
2Biology14.9%
3Physics7.4%
4Education7.1%
5Educational Leadership6.3%

Best colleges for physical chemistry teachers

The best colleges for physical chemistry teachers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A physical chemistry teacher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for physical chemistry teachers. 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 physical chemistry teachers.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

20 best online courses for physical chemistry teachers

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1. Introduction to Chemistry: Structures and Solutions

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This is an introductory course for students with limited background in chemistry; basic concepts such as atomic and molecular structure, solutions, phases of matter, and quantitative problem solving will be emphasized with the goal of preparing students for further study in chemistry...

2. Chemical Biology

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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...

3. 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!...

4. Introduction to Cheminformatics and medicinal chemistry

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4.5
(265)

Understand the underlying chemistry of drug development and use free softwares to analyze molecules...

5. Statistical Molecular Thermodynamics

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This introductory physical chemistry course examines the connections between molecular properties and the behavior of macroscopic chemical systems...

6. Exploring Quantum Physics

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An introduction to quantum physics with emphasis on topics at the frontiers of research, and developing understanding through exercise...

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. Dr. K's Complete First Semester General Chemistry I Course

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4.8
(650)

A Course to Prepare You for College Level General Chemistry...

9. The Science of the Solar System

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Learn about the science behind the current exploration of the solar system in this free class. Use principles from physics, chemistry, biology, and geology to understand the latest from Mars, comprehend the outer solar system, ponder planets outside our solar system, and search for habitability in our neighborhood and beyond. This course is generally taught at an advanced level assuming a prior knowledge of undergraduate math and physics, but the majority of the concepts and lectures can be...

10. Music Education for Teachers

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In the Music Education for Teachers specialization, you will explore ways of integrating popular music into your teaching. You'll begin by learning from two highly experienced teachers, Krystal Banfield, the Vice President of Educational Outreach for Berklee College of Music, and David Alexis a Berklee Professor and long-time instructor for the Berklee City Music Program. They will take you through their process of incorporating popular music, improvisation, arranging, and music technology into...

11. Organic Chemistry: Spectroscopy Master Class

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4.6
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Gain confidence in NMR (1H and 13C), IR, and MS with guided practice problems...

12. Physics - Kinematics for High School and AP Physics 1

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4.7
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This is a comprehensive Algebra based Mechanics course in physics specifically covering topics of Kinematics...

13. Global Warming I: The Science and Modeling of Climate Change

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This class describes the science of global warming and the forecast for humans’ impact on Earth’s climate. Intended for an audience without much scientific background but a healthy sense of curiosity, the class brings together insights and perspectives from physics, chemistry, biology, earth and atmospheric sciences, and even some economics—all based on a foundation of simple mathematics (algebra)...

14. Quantum Physics: an overview of a weird world (Basics)

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4.6
(1,355)

A primer on the conceptual foundations of Quantum Physics...

15. QC151 Quantum Physics for QC - Content moved to QC101

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4.2
(416)

This course has become part of QC101. Buy this course if you want only the physics lessons without the rest of QC101...

16. Classical Physics: Journey Through the Laws of the Universe

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4.7
(304)

Peer beneath the surface of reality, understand how the universe works, and develop physics apps that make a difference!...

17. Game Physics - Introducing Gravitation & Rotation in Unity

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4.5
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Step-by-step tutorial on how to create a basic rigid body motion physics from scratch. Taught in C# using Unity 3D free...

18. The Complete AP and College Physics Course

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4.2
(485)

Master the College/AP physics from classical to modern physics, then test your knowledge with 300+ practice exercises!...

19. Intro to Unity 3D Physics: Helicopters

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4.4
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Learn how to create Helicopter physics for Games with Unity 3D and C#!...

20. Implementing Positive Behaviour Management in the Classroom

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4.5
(416)

Practical Strategies to Address Behaviour Issues in any Classroom...

Top 10 most affordable universities for physical chemistry teachers

The most affordable schools for physical chemistry teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for physical chemistry teachers 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 physical chemistry teachers.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

6. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

7. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. 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

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for physical chemistry teachers

The hardest universities for physical chemistry teachers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for physical chemistry teachers 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 physical chemistry teachers 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

9. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for physical chemistry teachers

The easiest schools for physical chemistry teachers to get into are Barry University, 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 a physical chemistry teacher 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 physical chemistry teachers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

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. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

5. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

6. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

7. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

8. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

9. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average physical chemistry teacher salary by education level

According to our data, physical chemistry teachers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $63,598 annually. Physical chemistry teachers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $62,803.
Physical chemistry teacher education levelPhysical chemistry teacher salary
Master's Degree$62,803
Bachelor's Degree$51,384
Doctorate Degree$63,598

Physical chemistry teacher 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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