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2025 Best Physics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

24 Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
2,477 Physics Degrees Awarded
$52,956 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.

College Factual reviewed 24 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of physics. Combined, these schools handed out 2,477 degrees in physics to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Physics School

Best Physics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region Your choice of physics school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Physics Rankings by Degree Level

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

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 Best Physics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list to help you make the college decision. 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 Middle Atlantic 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 Middle Atlantic Region Schools in Physics

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MD
78 Physics Degrees Awarded

Johns Hopkins University is a good decision for students interested in a degree in physics. Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 78 physics students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physics from Johns Hopkins University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Physics Degrees Awarded
$60,348 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in physics needs to take a look at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. RPI is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Troy. A Best Colleges rank of #64 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means RPI is a great school overall.

There were roughly 60 physics students who graduated with this degree at RPI in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the physics degree program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute get $7,392 more than the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In NY
51 Physics Degrees Awarded

Any student pursuing a degree in physics has to look into Columbia University in the City of New York. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 51 physics students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physics from Columbia University in the City of New York

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
109 Physics Degrees Awarded
11.9% Growth in Graduates

Cornell University is a good choice for students interested in a degree in physics. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were roughly 109 physics students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the physics program make an average of $50,933 for their early career.

More information about a degree in physics from Cornell University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NY
110 Physics Degrees Awarded

Located in the midsize city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #82 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Rochester is a great university overall.

There were roughly 110 physics students who graduated with this degree at University of Rochester in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Rochester

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
117 Physics Degrees Awarded
6.8% Growth in Graduates

UMCP is a very large public university located in the suburb of College Park. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were approximately 117 physics students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the physics program report average early career wages of $39,825.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Maryland - College Park

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Physics Degrees Awarded
32.2% Growth in Graduates

RIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Rochester. This school ranks 13th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 59 physics students who graduated with this degree at RIT in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the physics program earn about $48,374 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in physics from Rochester Institute of Technology

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$52,741 Median Starting Salary

UD is a very large public university located in the suburb of Newark. A Best Colleges rank of #96 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UD is a great university overall.

There were roughly 29 physics students who graduated with this degree at UD in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, physics degree recipients generally earn an average of $52,741 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Delaware

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Physics Degrees Awarded
10.3% Growth in Graduates

Rutgers New Brunswick is a very large public university located in the city of New Brunswick. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Rutgers New Brunswick is a great university overall.

There were about 68 physics students who graduated with this degree at Rutgers New Brunswick in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the physics program earn an average of $35,689 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in physics from Rutgers University - New Brunswick

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In PA
45 Physics Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #85 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Pitt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 45 physics students who graduated with this degree at Pitt in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

Best Physics Colleges by State

Explore the best physics colleges for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 334 635
New York 333 1,108
Maryland 279 286
New Jersey 273 272
District of Columbia 188 79
Delaware 175 37

View All Rankings >

Physics is one of 8 different types of Physical Sciences programs to choose from.

Physics Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Physics 2,175
Other Physics 121
Acoustics 102
Optics/Optical Sciences 64
Theoretical & Mathematical Physics 10
Elementary Particle Physics 5

View All Physics Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 3,154
Geological & Earth Sciences 1,215
General Physical Sciences 1,011
Other Physical Science 311
Materials Sciences 262
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 256
Astronomy & Astrophysics 250

View All Physics Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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