Best Chemistry Schools Near Gilroy, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Gilroy, California has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs, with tuition ranging from $1,404 to $50,205 per year for indexed programs. Gilroy has a population of about 58,561. Median household income is $131,554 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, the top-earning chemistry-related role is Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists at a median $159,300 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Chemistry Schools to Gilroy

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer chemistry programs near Gilroy, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Gilroy city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Gilroy. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA 26.2 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
71.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 66%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,396
Avg net price $17,890/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,005
Out‑of‑state$50,205
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 28.1 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 30.7 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $109,183
Avg net price $50,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 38.8 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,072
Avg net price $7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 43.5 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
95.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $124,080
Avg net price $13,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 52.0 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,401
Avg net price $9,320/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA 54.0 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,188
Avg net price $6,067/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 54.7 miles from Gilroy
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California chemistry page.

Chemistry Wages Near Gilroy

Gilroy is part of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area (BLS area code 41940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Chemists $114,890 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $104,067
Biochemists and Biophysicists $124,050 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $112,364
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary $131,080 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $118,732
Chemical Technicians $67,140 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $60,815
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $159,300 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $144,293
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $106,510 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $96,476
Chemical Engineers N/A CA statewide –
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $108,230 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $98,034

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Gilroy at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 58,561 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $131,554 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 28.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 110.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Gilroy-Area Cities With Chemistry Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited chemistry schools are near Gilroy, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs near Gilroy. The closest is Cabrillo College in Aptos, CA (18.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Jose State University (28.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying chemistry roles near Gilroy?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying chemistry-related roles near Gilroy are: Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists ($159,300), Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary ($131,080), Biochemists and Biophysicists ($124,050). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Morgan Hill instead of Gilroy?

Morgan Hill, CA is 9.4 miles from Gilroy and has its own set of local chemistry programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Gilroy an affordable place to study chemistry?

Gilroy’s median household income of $131,554 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gilroy while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Chemistry Programs

Other Programs Available in Gilroy

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Gilroy:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Chemistry Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)