Best Chemistry Schools Near Rockford, IL (2026)

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

Rockford, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs, with tuition ranging from $31,360 to $43,137 per year for indexed programs. Rockford has a population of about 147,649. Median household income is $53,328 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.2% 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 Rockford

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

Rockford University

Rockford, IL 2.4 miles from Rockford
  • 4 year
38.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,794
Avg net price $22,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Chemistry Wages Near Rockford

Rockford is part of the Rockford, IL metro area (BLS area code 40420). 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 $85,230 IL statewide $92,440
Biochemists and Biophysicists $87,010 IL statewide $94,371
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary $97,860 IL statewide $106,139
Chemical Technicians $61,890 IL statewide $67,126
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $82,330 IL statewide $89,295
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $81,590 IL statewide $88,492
Chemical Engineers $121,560 IL statewide $131,844
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $78,500 Rockford, IL $85,141

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.

Rockford at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 147,649 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $53,328 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Rockford-Area Cities With Chemistry Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited chemistry schools are near Rockford, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs near Rockford. The closest is Rockford University in Rockford, IL (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (43.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying chemistry roles near Rockford?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying chemistry-related roles near Rockford are: Chemical Engineers ($121,560), Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary ($97,860), Biochemists and Biophysicists ($87,010). 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 Loves Park instead of Rockford?

Loves Park, IL is 6.3 miles from Rockford 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 Rockford an affordable place to study chemistry?

Rockford’s median household income of $53,328 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rockford 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 Rockford

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

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)