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2024 Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region

14 Colleges in the Plains States Region
721 Physics Degrees Awarded
$55,327 Avg Early-Career Salary
Physics is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #68 most popular degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 14 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 721 degrees in physics to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Physics School

Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region The physics program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Physics rankings. We derive our Best Overall Physics School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Physics Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Physics
Master's Degrees in Physics
Doctor's Degrees in Physics

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Physics in the Plains States Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the physics degree levels they offer.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in Physics

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Physics Degrees Awarded
$55,327 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in physics needs to take a look at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were roughly 65 physics students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the physics program earn an average of $55,327 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IA
31 Physics Degrees Awarded

Every student pursuing a degree in physics needs to look into Iowa State University. Iowa State is a very large public university located in the small city of Ames. A Best Colleges rank of #75 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 31 physics students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physics from Iowa State University

3
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MN
32.1% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in physics has to take a look at Carleton College. Located in the distant town of Northfield, Carleton is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #93 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Carleton is a great college overall.

There were roughly 28 physics students who graduated with this degree at Carleton in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physics from Carleton College

4
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In MN
17.6% Growth in Graduates

St Olaf College is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in physics. Located in the town of Northfield, St. Olaf is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 6th out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 17 physics students who graduated with this degree at St. Olaf in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in physics from St Olaf College

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MO
10.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #124 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were approximately 30 physics students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Missouri - Columbia

6
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IA
32 Physics Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #84 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were roughly 32 physics students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Iowa

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In KS

Located in the city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 24 physics students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Kansas

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In MN
27.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Duluth, UMN Duluth is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 9th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 18 physics students who graduated with this degree at UMN Duluth in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Minnesota - Duluth

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In MO
54.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, UMSL is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were roughly 11 physics students who graduated with this degree at UMSL in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Missouri - St Louis

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NE

Located in the city of Omaha, Creighton is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #105 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Creighton is a great university overall.

There were roughly 14 physics students who graduated with this degree at Creighton in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physics from Creighton University

Best Physics Colleges by State

Explore the best physics colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Minnesota284236
Missouri283134
Kansas26684
Iowa264141
Nebraska23869
North Dakota21023
South Dakota20424

View All Rankings >

One of 8 majors within the Physical Sciences area of study, Physics has other similar majors worth exploring.

Physics Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
General Physics694
Other Physics19
Condensed Matter & Materials Physics6
Nuclear Physics2

View All Physics Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Chemistry1,501
Geological & Earth Sciences482
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology103
Astronomy & Astrophysics38
Materials Sciences25
General Physical Sciences17
Other Physical Science10

View All Physics Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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