Best Chemistry Schools Near Aurora, IL (2026)

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

Aurora, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs, with tuition ranging from $39,200 to $47,313 per year for indexed programs. Aurora has a population of about 179,867. Median household income is $90,109 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning chemistry-related role is Chemical Engineers at a median $110,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Chemistry Schools to Aurora

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

Aurora University

Aurora, IL 3.1 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,709
Avg net price $18,838/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Chemistry Wages Near Aurora

Aurora is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Chemists $90,920 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $87,761
Biochemists and Biophysicists $85,780 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $82,799
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary $100,560 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $97,066
Chemical Technicians $62,100 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $59,942
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $83,240 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $80,347
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $85,310 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $82,346
Chemical Engineers $110,760 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $106,911
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $98,970 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $95,531

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.

Aurora at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 179,867 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $90,109 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 37.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Aurora-Area Cities With Chemistry Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited chemistry schools are near Aurora, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs near Aurora. The closest is Aurora University in Aurora, IL (3.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lewis University (15.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying chemistry roles near Aurora?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying chemistry-related roles near Aurora are: Chemical Engineers ($110,760), Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary ($100,560), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($98,970). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Batavia instead of Aurora?

Batavia, IL is 6.0 miles from Aurora 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 Aurora an affordable place to study chemistry?

Aurora’s median household income of $90,109 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Aurora while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Aurora

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

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 Illinois: Online Programs (2026)