Chemistry at Salem State University

Salem State's chemistry program punches above its weight, placing graduates in the 92nd percentile nationally for earnings—well above what you'd expect from a school with a 96% admission rate. The $49,439 first-year salary beats the national median by nearly $7,000, though it falls in the middle of Massachusetts's competitive chemistry landscape. While top programs like Northeastern command higher starting salaries, Salem State delivers this outcome at exactly the state's median debt level of $27,000, creating a manageable 0.55 debt-to-earnings ratio.

The caveat here is sample size—with fewer than 30 graduates in the data, these numbers could shift significantly year to year. That said, the underlying value proposition is clear: students get solid chemistry program outcomes at a fraction of the cost of private alternatives. Compare the debt here to what you'd face at schools like Holy Cross or Williams, and Salem State's accessible chemistry degree starts looking like smart financial planning.

For an anxious parent weighing options, this program offers a practical path into chemistry without the financial burden that often comes with laboratory sciences. Just understand you're working with limited data, and your child's experience could vary from these medians.