Best Chemistry Schools Near Laurel, MD (2026)

Laurel, Maryland has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs, with tuition ranging from $26,610 to $33,903 per year for indexed programs. Laurel has a population of about 29,594. Median household income is $94,063 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning chemistry-related role is Chemists at a median $144,680 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Chemistry Schools to Laurel

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer chemistry programs near Laurel, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Laurel 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 Laurel. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Bowie State University

Bowie, MD 7.7 miles from Laurel
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,537
Avg net price $19,298/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Maryland-College Park

College Park, MD 8.6 miles from Laurel
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,860
Avg net price $15,678/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 150

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Maryland-Baltimore County

Baltimore, MD 13.8 miles from Laurel
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,960
Avg net price $16,467/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD 20.7 miles from Laurel
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
88.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $87,555
Avg net price $18,809/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 164

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Loyola University Maryland

Baltimore, MD 21.6 miles from Laurel
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,652
Avg net price $30,574/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Notre Dame of Maryland University

Baltimore, MD 21.9 miles from Laurel
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,344
Avg net price $19,169/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

United States Naval Academy

Annapolis, MD 21.9 miles from Laurel
  • 4 year
79.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Morgan State University

Baltimore, MD 22.7 miles from Laurel
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,698
Avg net price $14,985/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Chemistry Wages Near Laurel

Laurel is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maryland statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Chemists $144,680 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $132,856
Biochemists and Biophysicists $103,660 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $95,188
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary $98,170 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $90,147
Chemical Technicians $57,880 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $53,150
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $107,110 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $98,356
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $108,160 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $99,320
Chemical Engineers $132,820 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $121,965
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $80,300 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $73,737

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.


Laurel at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 29,594 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $94,063 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 44.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Laurel-Area Cities With Chemistry Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited chemistry schools are near Laurel, MD?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs near Laurel. The closest is Bowie State University in Bowie, MD (7.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Trinity Washington University (13.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying chemistry roles near Laurel?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying chemistry-related roles near Laurel are: Chemists ($144,680), Chemical Engineers ($132,820), Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health ($108,160). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Maryland statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Greenbelt instead of Laurel?

Greenbelt, MD is 7.1 miles from Laurel 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 Laurel an affordable place to study chemistry?

Laurel’s median household income of $94,063 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Laurel while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Maryland 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 Laurel

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.