Program Analysis
At $50,553 per year, Chemistry graduates from California State University-Long Beach earn slightly above the $41,256 national median. The premium is real but not dramatic.
The 25.4x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 47% task exposure — and the 14% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
The median debt load of $12,430 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.
A #1 ranking out of 205 programs puts California State University-Long Beach in the top 1% for Chemistry. By our composite measure, very few programs deliver stronger results.
Earnings growth from $50,553 to $80,456 over five years (59% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.