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2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major

18 Ranked Colleges
99 Degrees Awarded
$37,100 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2021-2022, 1,044 people earned their degree in engineering & applied physics, making the major the 448th most popular in the United States.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 99 engineering & applied physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,735 and $124,256 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in engineering & applied physics. That schools that top this list have a program in engineering & applied physics in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Engineering & Applied Physics Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major

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

Top 18 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s applied physics students in 2021-2022.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California Institute of Technology Engineering & Applied Physics Report

2

Out of the 18 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management landed the #2 spot on the list. AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management is a small school located in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio that handed out 3 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Engineering & Applied Physics at AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management

3
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rice University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Rice

4
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornell University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s applied physics students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 Engineering & Applied Physics at Cornell

5
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 18 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #5 spot on the list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern University Engineering & Applied Physics Report

6

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #6. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Daytona Beach, Florida. It awarded 5 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%.

Full Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach Engineering & Applied Physics Report

7
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Harvard University

8
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

With a ranking of #8, Yale University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified doctorate’s applied physics students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Yale

9
Naval Postgraduate School crest
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California

With a ranking of #9, Naval Postgraduate School did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. This small school is located in Monterey, California, and it awarded 0 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Naval Postgraduate School Engineering & Applied Physics Report

10

With a ranking of #10, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Columbia University in the City of New York

11

University of California - San Diego landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s applied physics degrees to 5 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at UCSD

12
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school awarded 0 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s applied physics students 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Virginia - Main Campus

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large public school situated in Norman, Oklahoma. It awarded 4 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

13

Stevens Institute of Technology landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Stevens Institute of Technology is located in Hoboken, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s applied physics degrees to qualified 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%. 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 more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Stevens

13

University of California - Davis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 0 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of California - Davis

13
WPI crest
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester Polytechnic Institute ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. WPI is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 3 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

13
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Brown University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 4 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Brown

13

With a ranking of #13, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. RPI is a medium-sized school located in Troy, New York that handed out 0 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.

Full RPI Engineering & Applied Physics Report

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