by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 3 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Physical Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 196 doctor's degrees in physical sciences during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The physical sciences doctor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality physical sciences program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
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.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools 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 North Carolina.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in physical sciences.
It is difficult to beat Duke University if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from Duke University
Every student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in physical sciences needs to check out University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
North Carolina State University is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a doctor's degree in physical sciences. NC State is a very large public university located in the large city of Raleigh.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from North Carolina State University
Explore all the Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 29 | 238 |
| Virginia | 29 | 136 |
| Georgia | 28 | 132 |
| Mississippi | 28 | 32 |
| South Carolina | 28 | 56 |
| Kentucky | 26 | 40 |
| Alabama | 25 | 55 |
| Tennessee | 25 | 62 |
| Louisiana | 25 | 74 |
| Arkansas | 23 | 37 |
| West Virginia | 20 | 25 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 91 |
| Physics | 63 |
| Other Physical Science | 27 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 8 |
| Materials Sciences | 7 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 402 |
| Engineering | 394 |
| Agriculture & Agriculture Operations | 123 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 96 |
| Natural Resources & Conservation | 33 |
| Architecture & Related Services | 11 |
