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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Physics

955 Ranked Colleges
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Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2021-2022, 13,447 people earned their degree in physics, making the major the 68th most popular in the United States. In , physics graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $42,912 and had an average of $22,477 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major” ranking looked at 955 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physics. That schools that top this list have a program in physics in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Physics Schools

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The physics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Physics

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 60 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Physics at Caltech

2
Reed crest
Reed College
Portland, Oregon

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Reed College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major list. This small school is located in Portland, Oregon, and it awarded 11 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Physics at Reed College

3
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Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvey Mudd College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 20 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Physics at Harvey Mudd College

4
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Haverford College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major. This small school is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 15 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Physics at Haverford

5
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Dillard University
New Orleans, Louisiana

Out of the 955 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Dillard University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in New Orleans, Louisiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Dillard University

6
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Fisk University
Nashville, Tennessee

Fisk University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fisk University Physics Report

7

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Located in Socorro, New Mexico, this small public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Physics at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

8
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Coe College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Coe College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Coe is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Coe College

9
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Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts

Amherst College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #9. Amherst College is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Amherst College Physics Report

10
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West Virginia Wesleyan College
Buckhannon, West Virginia

West Virginia Wesleyan College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Buckhannon, West Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at West Virginia Wesleyan

11
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa

Grinnell College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Grinnell College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Grinnell, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at Grinnell

12
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #12, Pomona College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Pomona College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Physics at Pomona College

13
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Hendrix College
Conway, Arkansas

Hendrix College ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Hendrix is located in Conway, Arkansas and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hendrix College Physics Report

14
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Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Carleton College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 28 students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Physics at Carleton

15
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Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio

Kenyon College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Gambier, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Kenyon College Physics Report

16
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Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

Hamilton College ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Hamilton is located in Clinton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 18 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Physics at Hamilton College

17
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Colby College
Waterville, Maine

Colby College ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Colby is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Waterville, Maine. It awarded 24 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Colby College Physics Report

18
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Hampden - Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

Hampden - Sydney College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Hampden - Sydney College

19
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Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Knox College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Knox is a small school located in Galesburg, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Knox College

20
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Bates College
Lewiston, Maine

Bates College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #20. Lewiston, Maine is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 17 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Physics at Bates College

21
McMurray University crest
McMurry University
Abilene, Texas

McMurry University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #21. McMurray University is located in Abilene, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at McMurry University

22
Colorado College crest
Colorado College
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Colorado College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It awarded 15 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Colorado College

23

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 112 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

24
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Albion College
Albion, Michigan

Albion College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Located in Albion, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Albion

25
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Mount Wachusett Community College
Gardner, Massachusetts

Mount Wachusett Community College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. This small school is located in Gardner, Massachusetts, and it awarded 7 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Mount Wachusett Community College

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
K College crest
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, MI
28
29
30
31
32
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Monmouth College
Monmouth, IL
33
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Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT
34
35
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Lycoming College
Williamsport, PA
36
37
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Williams College
Williamstown, MA
38
39
40
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Randolph College
Lynchburg, VA
41
42
43
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Davidson College
Davidson, NC
44
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Wells College
Aurora, NY
45
46
47
48
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Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VT
52Oberlin CollegeOberlin, OH
53Roanoke CollegeSalem, VA
54Ursinus CollegeCollegeville, PA
55Brown UniversityProvidence, RI
56Union College New YorkSchenectady, NY
57Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
58Washington CollegeChestertown, MD
59Rice UniversityHouston, TX
60Napa Valley CollegeNapa, CA
61Whitworth UniversitySpokane, WA
62SUNY GeneseoGeneseo, NY
63Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, MN
64Southern Arkansas University Main CampusMagnolia, AR
65Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, PA
RankCollegeLocation
66Willamette UniversitySalem, OR
67Rhodes CollegeMemphis, TN
68Irvine Valley CollegeIrvine, CA
69Berry CollegeMount Berry, GA
70Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, ME
71Austin CollegeSherman, TX
72Stanford UniversityStanford, CA
73South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyRapid City, SD
74Mount Holyoke CollegeSouth Hadley, MA
75Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT
76Cuyamaca CollegeEl Cajon, CA
77University of Washington - Seattle CampusSeattle, WA
78Bryn Mawr CollegeBryn Mawr, PA
79Saint Johns UniversityCollegeville, MN
80Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA
81Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, CA
82Skidmore CollegeSaratoga Springs, NY
83University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO
84Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MA
85Wofford CollegeSpartanburg, SC
86Bridgewater CollegeBridgewater, VA
86Juniata CollegeHuntingdon, PA
88Grove City CollegeGrove City, PA
89University of California - Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA
90Earlham CollegeRichmond, IN
RankCollegeLocation
91Gustavus Adolphus CollegeSaint Peter, MN
92Massachusetts College of Liberal ArtsNorth Adams, MA
93Greenville UniversityGreenville, IL
94Scripps CollegeClaremont, CA
95Illinois Wesleyan UniversityBloomington, IL
96Luther CollegeDecorah, IA
97Wheaton College IllinoisWheaton, IL
98United States Air Force AcademyUSAF Academy, CO
99University of ChicagoChicago, IL
100St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN
101Siena CollegeLoudonville, NY
102Centre CollegeDanville, KY
103St Mary’s College of MarylandSt. Mary’s City, MD
104Bethel University MinnesotaSaint Paul, MN
105Wheaton College MassachusettsNorton, MA
106Birmingham Southern CollegeBirmingham, AL
107Glendale Community CollegeGlendale, CA
108University of Puget SoundTacoma, WA
109Brevard CollegeBrevard, NC
110Allegheny CollegeMeadville, PA
111Xavier University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
112Skyline CollegeSan Bruno, CA
113College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA
114Norco CollegeNorco, CA
115Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, CA
RankCollegeLocation
116University of California - BerkeleyBerkeley, CA
117Westminster College UtahSalt Lake City, UT
118Marietta CollegeMarietta, OH
119Berea CollegeBerea, KY
120University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN
121Alma CollegeAlma, MI
122Denison UniversityGranville, OH
123Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NY
124University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
125Moorpark CollegeMoorpark, CA
126Pitzer CollegeClaremont, CA
127Pacific Lutheran UniversityTacoma, WA
128University of Puerto Rico - HumacaoHumacao, PR
129Carthage CollegeKenosha, WI
130Dickinson CollegeCarlisle, PA
131William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
132King’s CollegeWilkes-Barre, PA
133Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg, PA
134University of California - MercedMerced, CA
135Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
136University of Alabama in HuntsvilleHuntsville, AL
137Beloit CollegeBeloit, WI
138Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, MA
139Ave Maria UniversityAve Maria, FL
140Laney CollegeOakland, CA
RankCollegeLocation
141Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityLincoln, NE
142Saint Mary’s CollegeNotre Dame, IN
143Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY
144Rose - Hulman Institute of TechnologyTerre Haute, IN

Notes and References

References

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