Location: Rohnert Park, CA•In-State Tuition: $8,190•Out-of-State Tuition: $20,070•Admission Rate: 95%
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$43,766
Est. from CA median (23 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$15,953
Est. from CA median (20 programs)

Analysis

Similar chemistry programs across California typically produce first-year earnings around $44,000—a figure that tracks closely with the national median but falls well short of what top UC and Cal State campuses achieve. For perspective, UC Berkeley chemistry graduates earn nearly $60,000, while Cal State Long Beach tops $50,000. Peer programs at public California universities suggest Sonoma State graduates would likely land somewhere in the middle tier of state outcomes.

The financial fundamentals look manageable. Based on comparable programs, graduates here carry an estimated $16,000 in debt against that $44,000 starting salary—a 0.36 ratio that's well below the danger zone and substantially better than the $24,000 national median debt. With 36% of students receiving Pell grants, this relatively light debt load matters for families without financial cushions.

The real question is whether the gap to stronger programs reflects different career paths or represents a ceiling you'd want to avoid. Chemistry majors can head toward grad school, pharmaceutical companies, or lab work with widely varying pay scales. Without knowing where Sonoma State's graduates actually land, you're betting on a safe debt load but potentially leaving $10,000-15,000 in first-year earnings on the table compared to nearby alternatives. If your student is competitive enough for admission to the higher-performing Cal State or UC programs, those gaps compound quickly over a career.

Where Sonoma State University Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all chemistry bachelors's programs nationally

Sonoma State University (estimated ±10%)Other chemistry programs

Dashed lines show national medians. Upper-left = best value.

Compare to Similar Programs in California

Chemistry bachelors's programs at peer institutions in California (65 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
Sonoma State UniversityRohnert Park$8,190$43,766*—$15,953*—
University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley$14,850$59,576*$64,496$11,172*0.19
University of California-MercedMerced$14,167$50,944*$56,584$15,000*0.29
California State University-Long BeachLong Beach$7,008$50,553*$66,742$15,680*0.31
California State University-San MarcosSan Marcos$7,739$49,382*——*—
University of California-Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara$14,965$47,197*$64,903$15,805*0.33
National Median—$42,581*—$24,000*0.56
* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with chemistry graduates

Natural Sciences Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these fields.

$161,180/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Clinical Research Coordinators

Plan, direct, or coordinate clinical research projects. Direct the activities of workers engaged in clinical research projects to ensure compliance with protocols and overall clinical objectives. May evaluate and analyze clinical data.

$161,180/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Water Resource Specialists

Design or implement programs and strategies related to water resource issues such as supply, quality, and regulatory compliance issues.

$161,180/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Computer and Information Research Scientists

Conduct research into fundamental computer and information science as theorists, designers, or inventors. Develop solutions to problems in the field of computer hardware and software.

$140,910/yrJobs growth:Master's degree

Data Scientists

Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Business Intelligence Analysts

Produce financial and market intelligence by querying data repositories and generating periodic reports. Devise methods for identifying data patterns and trends in available information sources.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Clinical Data Managers

Apply knowledge of health care and database management to analyze clinical data, and to identify and report trends.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Chemists

Conduct qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses or experiments in laboratories for quality or process control or to develop new products or knowledge.

$86,620/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses pertaining to the chemical and physical properties and compositional changes of substances. Work may include providing instruction in the methods of qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching, and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in environmental science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses pertaining to the laws of matter and energy. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

Conduct research or perform investigation for the purpose of identifying, abating, or eliminating sources of pollutants or hazards that affect either the environment or public health. Using knowledge of various scientific disciplines, may collect, synthesize, study, report, and recommend action based on data derived from measurements or observations of air, food, soil, water, and other sources.

$80,060/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree
About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Sonoma State University, approximately 36% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 23 similar programs in CA. Actual outcomes may vary.