Best Chemistry Schools Near Placentia, CA (2026)

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

Placentia, California has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs, with tuition ranging from $1,180 to $20,070 per year for indexed programs. Placentia has a population of about 52,384. Median household income is $110,575 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.7% 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 Placentia

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer chemistry programs near Placentia, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Placentia 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 Placentia. 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

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA 1.7 miles from Placentia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
85.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,951
Avg net price $6,555/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,470
Out‑of‑state$20,070
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 78

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

#2

Chapman University

Orange, CA 6.1 miles from Placentia
  • 4 year
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,070
Avg net price $46,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, CA 8.6 miles from Placentia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
65.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,552
Avg net price $3,133/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 88

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Biola University

La Mirada, CA 9.3 miles from Placentia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,778
Avg net price $31,495/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Cypress College

Cypress, CA 10.4 miles from Placentia
  • 4 year
49.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,533
Avg net price $4,606/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Pomona, CA 12.4 miles from Placentia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
86.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,902
Avg net price $11,531/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,780
Out‑of‑state$20,380
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 64

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

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#7

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 14.0 miles from Placentia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,950
Avg net price $14,379/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Vanguard University of Southern California

Costa Mesa, CA 15.3 miles from Placentia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,541
Avg net price $21,241/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 37

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 Placentia

Placentia 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.

Placentia at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 52,384 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $110,575 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 43.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 113.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Placentia-Area Cities With Chemistry Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited chemistry schools are near Placentia, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs near Placentia. The closest is California State University-Fullerton in Fullerton, CA (1.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Santa Ana College (8.6 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying chemistry roles near Placentia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying chemistry-related roles near Placentia 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 Anaheim instead of Placentia?

Anaheim, CA is 2.9 miles from Placentia 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 Placentia an affordable place to study chemistry?

Placentia’s median household income of $110,575 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Placentia 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 Placentia

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

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)