by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for physical sciences students pursuing a doctor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,119 doctor's degrees in physical sciences to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of physical sciences for getting your doctor's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their doctor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their doctor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
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 physical sciences students working on their doctor's degree.
The physical sciences 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 Physical Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for physical sciences students seeking a a doctor's degree.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a good decision for students interested in a doctor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
It is difficult to beat University of Wisconsin - Madison if you want to pursue a doctor's degree in physical sciences. UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the city of Madison.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Ohio State University - Main Campus is a good option for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from Ohio State University - Main Campus
University of Notre Dame is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in physical sciences. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of Notre Dame
UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Located in the large city of Cleveland, Case Western is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from Case Western Reserve University
Michigan State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of East Lansing.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from Michigan State University
Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from Purdue University - Main Campus
Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from Indiana University - Bloomington
Located in the large city of Cincinnati, UC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Explore the best physical sciences schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 661 |
| Physics | 300 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 72 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 38 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 27 |
| Materials Sciences | 18 |
| General Physical Sciences | 3 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Engineering | 2,133 |
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 1,235 |
| Agriculture & Agriculture Operations | 706 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 380 |
| Natural Resources & Conservation | 93 |
| Engineering Technologies | 45 |
| Architecture & Related Services | 7 |
