Best Chemistry Schools Near San Marcos, CA (2026)

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

San Marcos, California has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs, with tuition ranging from $1,146 to $50,958 per year for indexed programs. San Marcos has a population of about 94,078. Median household income is $105,286 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning chemistry-related role is Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $138,300 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Chemistry Schools to San Marcos

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

San Marcos, CA 0.9 miles from San Marcos
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,908
Avg net price $10,229/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Palomar College

San Marcos, CA 1.1 miles from San Marcos
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,300
Avg net price $5,763/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 106

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 San Marcos

San Marcos is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (BLS area code 41740). 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 $95,160 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $85,040
Biochemists and Biophysicists $121,740 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $108,794
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary $138,300 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $123,592
Chemical Technicians $57,270 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $51,180
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $130,980 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $117,051
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $106,100 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $94,817
Chemical Engineers N/A CA statewide –
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $102,810 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $91,877

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.

San Marcos at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 94,078 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $105,286 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 42.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other San Marcos-Area Cities With Chemistry Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited chemistry schools are near San Marcos, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs near San Marcos. The closest is California State University-San Marcos in San Marcos, CA (0.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Diego Mesa College (22.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying chemistry roles near San Marcos?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying chemistry-related roles near San Marcos are: Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary ($138,300), Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists ($130,980), Biochemists and Biophysicists ($121,740). 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 Vista instead of San Marcos?

Vista, CA is 5.3 miles from San Marcos 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 San Marcos an affordable place to study chemistry?

San Marcos’s median household income of $105,286 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Marcos 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 San Marcos

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

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)