2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics
23
Ranked Colleges
168
Degrees Awarded
$37,100
Avg Cost*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Engineering & Applied Physics is the 448th most popular major in the country with 1,044 degrees awarded in 2021-2022.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 168 engineering & applied physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,979 and $43,370 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in engineering & applied physics. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in engineering & applied physics.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major”.
Top 23 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s applied physics degrees to 9 students 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 AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Out of the 23 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 18 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%.
Full Caltech Engineering & Applied Physics Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major. Yale University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 20 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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 Engineering & Applied Physics at Yale University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Daytona Beach, Florida. It awarded 9 masters’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%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stevens Institute of Technology. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Located in Hoboken, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified masters’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 93%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Stevens
Cornell University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 17 masters’s applied physics 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 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Cornell
With a ranking of #7, Harvard University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 17 masters’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Harvard
With a ranking of #8, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 15 masters’s applied 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 6 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Columbia
With a ranking of #9, University of Central Oklahoma did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Edmond, Oklahoma is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s applied physics degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at UCO
Rice University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Rice University is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 6 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Rice Engineering & Applied Physics Report
University of California - San Diego ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s applied physics degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at UCSD
Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 0 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 87%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Illinois Institute of Technology
University of Maine ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. University of Maine is a fairly large school located in Orono, Maine that handed out 1 masters’s applied physics degrees 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%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Maine
New York University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified masters’s applied physics students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at NYU
With a ranking of #15, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 1 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.1% 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%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Northwestern
Colorado School of Mines landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Colorado School of Mines is located in Golden, Colorado and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 masters’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Mines Engineering & Applied Physics Report
University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 0 masters’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%. 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%.
Full University of Virginia Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Naval Postgraduate School landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Naval Postgraduate School is a small public school situated in Monterey, California. It awarded 0 masters’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 full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Naval Postgraduate School
University of California - Davis ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 0 masters’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 UC Davis
Worcester Polytechnic Institute came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. WPI is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 3 masters’s applied 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full WPI Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a medium-sized school located in Troy, New York that handed out 0 masters’s applied 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineering & Applied Physics Report
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. This large school is located in Norman, Oklahoma, and it awarded 4 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
University of Tulsa came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. This small school is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and it awarded 1 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.
Full University of Tulsa Engineering & Applied Physics Report
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to NASA.
