Chemistry: California State University-Long Beach vs San Francisco State University

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA
In-State
25.4x
$28,032 tuition
29.5x
$29,696 tuition
Out-of-State
9.4x
$75,552 tuition
11.3x
$77,216 tuition
$711,078 10-yr earnings · Public
$875,439 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

California State University-Long Beach San Francisco State University
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 25.4x 29.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 9.4x 11.3x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $28,032 $29,696
Year 1 Earnings $50,553 $44,140
10-Year Earnings $711K $875K
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 70/100 67/100
Acceptance Rate 47.1% 96.2%

Both programs have high AI automation risk (47% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Chemistry graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Chemistry graduates.

California State University-Long Beach San Francisco State University
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $28,032 $29,696
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $75,552 $77,216
10-Year Projected Earnings $711K $875K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 25.4x 29.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 9.4x 11.3x
5-Year Salary Growth +59% +115%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Chemistry (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

California State University-Long Beach San Francisco State University
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $725K $711K $622K $900K $875K $740K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 25.9x 25.4x 22.2x 30.3x 29.5x 24.9x
DegreeWorth Score 70 70 64 68 67 63

For the full AI analysis of Chemistry career paths, see the California State University-Long Beach or San Francisco State University program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Chemistry graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$1,664
California State University-Long Beach saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$6,413/yr
California State University-Long Beach grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
25.4x / 29.5x
Out-of-state: 9.4x / 11.3x

Career Paths

Chemistry graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Natural sciences managers $161,180 8,500 +3.7% 50%
Computer and information research scientists $140,910 3,200 +19.7% 63%
Data scientists $112,590 23,400 +33.5% 64%
Computer occupations, all other $108,970 31,300 +8.2% 57%
Physics teachers, postsecondary $97,360 1,300 +2.5% 42%
Environmental science teachers, postsecondary $87,710 700 +2.9% 52%
Chemistry teachers, postsecondary $86,220 1,900 +2.2% 43%
Chemists $84,150 6,300 +4.9% 38%
Want to compare different schools or majors? Try the freeform comparison tool →

Explore Each Program

More Chemistry Comparisons

Chemistry Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Chemistry: California State University-Long Beach or San Francisco State University?
California State University-Long Beach scores 70/100 while San Francisco State University scores 67/100. California State University-Long Beach has significantly lower tuition, which drives its competitive ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Chemistry?
California State University-Long Beach has an in-state earnings multiple of 25.4x vs San Francisco State University's 29.5x. That means San Francisco State University grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition.
How do California State University-Long Beach and San Francisco State University compare on Chemistry earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $50,553 at California State University-Long Beach vs $44,140 at San Francisco State University. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $711,078 vs $875,439 — a difference of $164,361.
How much does Chemistry cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $28,032 at California State University-Long Beach and $29,696 at San Francisco State University. Both programs lead to the same Chemistry career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.