Best Chemistry Schools Near Portage, IN (2026)

Portage, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs, with tuition ranging from $8,675 to $16,094 per year for indexed programs. Portage has a population of about 37,951. Median household income is $72,833 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.0% 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 Portage

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

Indiana University-Northwest

Gary, IN 8.4 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,361
Avg net price $5,130/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, IN 11.2 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,191
Avg net price $18,578/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, IN 15.2 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
50.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 72%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,318
Avg net price $6,079/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,675
Out‑of‑state$16,094
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame, IN 48.3 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,354
Avg net price $25,292/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN 49.2 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $99,980
Avg net price $26,780/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Indiana University-South Bend

South Bend, IN 49.7 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,947
Avg net price $8,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Bethel University

Mishawaka, IN 51.2 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,860
Avg net price $18,610/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Grace College and Theological Seminary

Winona Lake, IN 75.0 miles from Portage
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
56.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,411
Avg net price $19,932/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,200
Out‑of‑state$31,200
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Chemistry Wages Near Portage

Portage 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 Indiana 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.


Portage at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 37,951 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $72,833 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 16.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Portage-Area Cities With Chemistry Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited chemistry schools are near Portage, IN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs near Portage. The closest is Indiana University-Northwest in Gary, IN (8.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Chicago (25.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying chemistry roles near Portage?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying chemistry-related roles near Portage 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 Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hobart instead of Portage?

Hobart, IN is 7.0 miles from Portage 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 Portage an affordable place to study chemistry?

Portage’s median household income of $72,833 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Portage while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Indiana 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 Portage

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

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.