Best Chemistry Schools Near North Chicago, IL (2026)

North Chicago, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs, with tuition ranging from $38,750 to $70,655 per year for indexed programs. North Chicago has a population of about 30,772. Median household income is $56,815 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.1% 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 North Chicago

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

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL 5.0 miles from North Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
59.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 57%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,825
Avg net price $28,673/yr
Tuition
In‑state$56,402
Out‑of‑state$56,402
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 20.6 miles from North Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,363
Avg net price $29,167/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 167

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL 24.2 miles from North Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,530
Avg net price $36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL 24.4 miles from North Chicago
  • 4 year
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,234
Avg net price $14,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Judson University

Elgin, IL 28.3 miles from North Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
52.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 48%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,313
Avg net price $18,558/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,360
Out‑of‑state$31,360
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Dominican University

River Forest, IL 28.7 miles from North Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,327
Avg net price $11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 29.4 miles from North Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,462
Avg net price $24,185/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL 32.6 miles from North Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,740
Avg net price $10,974/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 140

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Chemistry Wages Near North Chicago

North Chicago 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.


North Chicago at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 30,772 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $56,815 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 19.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other North Chicago-Area Cities With Chemistry Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited chemistry schools are near North Chicago, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs near North Chicago. The closest is Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL (5.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Loyola University Chicago (24.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying chemistry roles near North Chicago?

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

Waukegan, IL is 3.7 miles from North Chicago 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 North Chicago an affordable place to study chemistry?

North Chicago’s median household income of $56,815 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in North Chicago 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 North Chicago

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

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.