by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 100 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for physical sciences students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 7,174 master's degrees in physical sciences to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The physical sciences master'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.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master'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 master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
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 master's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for physical sciences students seeking a a master's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in physical sciences needs to check out Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Johns Hopkins University
It's hard to beat University of California - Berkeley if you wish to pursue a master's degree in physical sciences. UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of California - Berkeley
Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in physical sciences has to look into Columbia University in the City of New York. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Columbia University in the City of New York
It is hard to beat University of Wisconsin - Madison if you wish to pursue a master's degree in physical sciences. Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Wisconsin - Madison
U-M is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Cornell University
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 master’s in physical sciences from Duke University
Located in the city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Rochester
Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the large city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Arizona
Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of California - Santa Barbara
UCSD is a very large public university located in the city of La Jolla.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of California - San Diego
Ohio State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Columbus.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Ohio State University - Main Campus
UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Virginia - Main Campus
Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from The University of Texas at Austin
UD is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Newark.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Delaware
Located in the medium-sized city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Texas A&M University - College Station
Located in the city of Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Massachusetts Amherst
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Villanova University | Villanova, PA |
| 22 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL |
| 23 | Northeastern University | Boston, MA |
| 24 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 25 | University of California - Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 26 | University of Oklahoma Norman Campus | Norman, OK |
| 27 | University of Houston | Houston, TX |
| 28 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus | Seattle, WA |
| 29 | University of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT |
| 30 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI |
| 31 | Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, NY |
| 32 | University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, CO |
| 33 | Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus | Atlanta, GA |
View the Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 2,413 |
| Physics | 2,152 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 1,612 |
| Materials Sciences | 279 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 258 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 253 |
| Other Physical Science | 153 |
| General Physical Sciences | 50 |
| Physics and Astronomy | 4 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Engineering | 54,258 |
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 23,405 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 13,187 |
| Engineering Technologies | 8,568 |
| Architecture & Related Services | 7,438 |
| Natural Resources & Conservation | 5,399 |
| Agriculture & Agriculture Operations | 3,185 |
| Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 1,122 |
| Science Technologies / Technicians | 93 |
