Best Chemistry Schools Near Rock Island, IL (2026)

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

Rock Island, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs, with tuition ranging from $57,903 to $68,134 per year for indexed programs. Rock Island has a population of about 36,758. Median household income is $57,292 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.4% 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 Rock Island

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

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL 2.8 miles from Rock Island
  • 4 year
62.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,971
Avg net price $22,736/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Chemistry Wages Near Rock Island

Rock Island is part of the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro area (BLS area code 19340). 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 $103,980 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL $116,700
Biochemists and Biophysicists $87,010 IL statewide $97,654
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary $97,860 IL statewide $109,832
Chemical Technicians $64,410 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL $72,290
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $69,410 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL $77,901
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $87,270 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL $97,946
Chemical Engineers $121,560 IL statewide $136,431
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,960 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL $69,540

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.

Rock Island at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 36,758 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $57,292 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 89.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Rock Island-Area Cities With Chemistry Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited chemistry schools are near Rock Island, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs near Rock Island. The closest is Augustana College in Rock Island, IL (2.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cornell College (53.6 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying chemistry roles near Rock Island?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying chemistry-related roles near Rock Island are: Chemical Engineers ($121,560), Chemists ($103,980), Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary ($97,860). 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 Moline instead of Rock Island?

Moline, IL is 4.8 miles from Rock Island 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 Rock Island an affordable place to study chemistry?

Rock Island’s median household income of $57,292 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rock Island 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 Rock Island

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

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)