by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools in Massachusetts to determine which ones were the best for physics students pursuing a doctor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 148 doctor's degrees in physics during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The physics doctor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of doctorate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their doctor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for physics students working on their doctor's degree.
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 the Best Physics Doctor's Degree Schools in Massachusetts.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in physics.
It is hard to beat Massachusetts Institute of Technology if you want to pursue a doctor's degree in physics. MIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge.More information about a doctorate in physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Northeastern University is a great choice for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in physics. Located in the city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in physics from Northeastern University
Boston University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in physics. Located in the large city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physics from Boston University
Explore all the Best Physics Schools in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 93 | 31 |
| Rhode Island | 78 | 10 |
| New Hampshire | 47 | 12 |
| Maine | 46 | 1 |
| Vermont | 30 | 0 |
Physics is one of 8 different types of Physical Sciences programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Physics | 148 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 165 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 40 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 32 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 4 |
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