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Best Chemistry Schools Near Charleston, IL (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Charleston, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs. Charleston has a population of about 17,212. Median household income is $49,057 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning chemistry-related role is Chemical Engineers at a median $121,560 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Chemistry Schools to Charleston
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer chemistry programs near Charleston, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Charleston 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:
BOCSCORE
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 Charleston.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois chemistry page.
Chemistry Wages Near Charleston
Occupation
Median Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide)
Chemists
$85,230
Biochemists and Biophysicists
$87,010
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary
$97,860
Chemical Technicians
$61,890
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
$82,330
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
$81,590
Chemical Engineers
$121,560
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
$79,990
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.
Charleston at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
17,212
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$49,057
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
34.2%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Other Charleston-Area Cities With Chemistry Programs
How many accredited chemistry schools are near Charleston, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs near Charleston. The closest is Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL (0.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Millikin University (49.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying chemistry roles in Illinois?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying chemistry-related roles in Illinois are: Chemical Engineers ($121,560), Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary ($97,860), Biochemists and Biophysicists ($87,010). Wages for Charleston workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Terre Haute instead of Charleston?
Terre Haute, IN is 42.8 miles from Charleston 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 Charleston an affordable place to study chemistry?
Charleston’s median household income of $49,057 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Charleston 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.
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.
