How much debt do Cal Poly Humboldt chemistry graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $24,000, which ranks 18th lowest of 19 chemistry bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $254 a month over 10 years.

Is a chemistry degree from Cal Poly Humboldt worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 71% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 55%. Compare the cost with other California programs before deciding.

Cal Poly Humboldt Chemistry (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Cal Poly Humboldt chemistry graduates stay in California?

Most do. 84% (21 of 25) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Chemistry
Public university
Arcata, CA
About 10 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Cal Poly Humboldt chemistry graduates earn less than graduates of most chemistry programs nationally, $33,972 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $24,000 in federal loans, close to the national median of $23,600. Several California programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$33,97216th percentile of 189 programs nationally

Median federal debt$24,00018th lowest of 19 California programs

Debt-to-earnings71%California median 38%, national 55%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The California and national columns are the medians across all chemistry bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Cal Poly Humboldt	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$33,972	$43,766	$42,204
Median federal debt at graduation	$24,000	$16,100	$23,600
Debt as share of first-year pay	71%	38%	55%
Programs compared		23	189

Debt and first-year pay at every California chemistry program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the California medians.

Cal Poly HumboldtOther California programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $254 a month, or 9.0% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

84% of graduates (21 of 25) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of California outside metro areas are about the same as the national average.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to chemistry, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$101,370

Median pay in California. 99,230 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $64,600Top 10%: $132,600

Data Scientists

$141,590

Median pay in California. 39,310 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 35% from 2025 to 2035, with about 24,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $77,480Top 10%: $224,920

Natural Sciences Managers

$210,230

Median pay in California. 14,950 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $130,730Top 10%: $330,050

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

$106,510

Median pay in California. 12,490 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,300 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $65,350Top 10%: $161,910

About Cal Poly Humboldt

In-state tuition and fees	$8,250 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$20,850 / year
Average net price after aid	$13,171 / year
Admission rate	98%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	49%
Undergraduate students	5,612

Chemistry ranks 11th of 32 bachelor's programs at Cal Poly Humboldt by first-year earnings. The top three are Environmental Engineering ($55,589), Forestry ($52,810), and Other Interdisciplinary Studies ($45,490).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $33,972 one year after graduating. The median across chemistry bachelor's programs in California is $43,766.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of California comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the chemistry program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Chemistry bachelor's programs in California, ranked23 programs by pay and debt Chemistry bachelor's programs in the US, ranked189 programs by pay and debt All Cal Poly Humboldt programs, ranked32 programs by pay and debt