Chemistry at Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic's chemistry program ranks solidly above the state median—at the 60th percentile among Florida chemistry programs—even though it falls well short of national benchmarks. While the $35,015 starting salary trails the national median by roughly $7,500, it actually exceeds what half of Florida chemistry programs deliver. The $25,000 debt load is manageable at 0.71 times first-year earnings, sitting near both national and state medians.

The program shows modest but steady earnings growth, with graduates reaching $38,316 by year four. That's respectable progress, though still below what flagship state programs like UCF ($43,634) and FSU ($40,629) produce. The critical caveat here: sample size is small (under 30 graduates), which means a few outliers could be skewing the numbers in either direction. These figures might not represent the typical graduate's experience.

For families focused on staying in-state and managing costs, FAU offers a middle-tier option that won't leave chemistry majors drowning in debt. The earnings won't impress compared to national standards, but they're competitive within Florida's market. Just recognize you're working with limited data—if chemistry is the goal, it may be worth comparing actual job placement rates and graduate school acceptance numbers directly with the department before committing.