2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major
247
Ranked Colleges
2,044
Degrees Awarded
$89,430
Avg Salary
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 2,044 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 Physics Major” ranking, we looked at 247 colleges that offer a degree in physics. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their physics program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major” list to help you make the college decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 Physics Major
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree physics students.
Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Physics
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s physics degrees to 13 students 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%.
Read full report on Physics at Caltech
Out of the 247 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Rochester landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Rochester is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Rochester, New York. It awarded 47 masters’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Rochester Physics Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brown University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major. Brown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 35 masters’s 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. 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 Physics at Brown University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major. This small school is located in Socorro, New Mexico, and it awarded 3 masters’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 16 degrees to qualified masters’s physics students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Princeton University Physics Report
Christopher Newport University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Newport News, Virginia, this small public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified masters’s physics students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CNU Physics Report
With a ranking of #7, Yale University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Yale is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 34 masters’s physics 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Physics at Yale
With a ranking of #8, The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. The Graduate Center, CUNY is a medium-sized school located in New York, New York that handed out 18 masters’s physics degrees 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%. 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.
Read full report on Physics at The Graduate Center, CUNY
Catholic University of America landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. CUA is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Full Catholic University of America Physics Report
University of Oregon landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Eugene, Oregon is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s physics degrees to 11 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.
Full University of Oregon Physics Report
Texas A&M University - Commerce ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Texas A&M University - Commerce is a public institution located in Commerce, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 masters’s degrees 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 more about Physics at Texas A&M Commerce
Delaware State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #12. This medium-sized school is located in Dover, Delaware, and it awarded 3 masters’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Full Delaware State University Physics Report
With a ranking of #13, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 16 masters’s physics 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Physics Report
Carnegie Mellon University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Carnegie Mellon is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 masters’s physics degrees to qualified students.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Physics at Carnegie Mellon University
University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 70 masters’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Arizona Physics Report
With a ranking of #16, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Located in Rapid City, South Dakota, this small public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s physics students 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%.
Read more about Physics at SD Mines
Lehigh University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified masters’s physics students 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, 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 94%.
Full Lehigh University Physics Report
Rice University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Rice University is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 11 masters’s 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. 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.
Full Rice Physics Report
Appalachian State University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Boone, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s physics degrees to 17 students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at Appalachian State University
University of Colorado Boulder came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. CU - Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 38 masters’s physics degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full CU - Boulder Physics Report
Stanford University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 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%.
Read full report on Physics at Stanford
Clarkson University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Potsdam, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s physics degrees to 2 students in 2021-2022.
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 Physics at Clarkson
University of Pennsylvania landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s physics degrees to 44 students 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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Physics at University of Pennsylvania
Western Illinois University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 4 masters’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 full report on Physics at Western Illinois University
With a ranking of #25, Duke University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 37 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.1%, 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 98%. 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 Physics at Duke University