Best Chemistry Schools Near Lancaster, CA (2026)

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

Lancaster, California has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs, with tuition ranging from $7,458 to $20,485 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 170,013. Median household income is $76,083 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning chemistry-related role is Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $141,370 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Chemistry Schools to Lancaster

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer chemistry programs near Lancaster, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lancaster 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 Lancaster. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

Antelope Valley Community College District

Lancaster, CA 1.3 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
40.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,526
Avg net price $3,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Chemistry Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). 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 $87,060 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $76,637
Biochemists and Biophysicists $131,700 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $115,933
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary $141,370 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $124,445
Chemical Technicians $58,070 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $51,118
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $134,890 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $118,741
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $105,340 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $92,729
Chemical Engineers $134,210 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $118,143
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $100,960 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $88,873

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.

Lancaster at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 170,013 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $76,083 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 20.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 113.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Chemistry Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited chemistry schools are near Lancaster, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs near Lancaster. The closest is Antelope Valley Community College District in Lancaster, CA (1.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California Institute of Technology (38.5 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying chemistry roles near Lancaster?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying chemistry-related roles near Lancaster are: Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary ($141,370), Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists ($134,890), Chemical Engineers ($134,210). 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 Palmdale instead of Lancaster?

Palmdale, CA is 7.9 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study chemistry?

Lancaster’s median household income of $76,083 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster 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 Lancaster

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

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)