by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 50,306 people earned their degree in physical sciences, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, physical sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $39,880 and had an average of $22,620 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major” ranking, we looked at 1,524 colleges that offer a degree in physical sciences. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their physical sciences program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 Highly Focused on Physical Sciences 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for physical sciences students.
Out of the 1,524 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Richard Bland College of William and Mary landed the #1 spot on the list. South Prince George, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 157 students in 2020-2021.
Out of the 1,524 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. California Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 143 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full California Institute of Technology Physical Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of New Mexico - Taos Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major. University of New Mexico - Taos Campus is located in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of New Mexico - Taos Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of New Mexico - Valencia County Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Los Lunas, New Mexico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
Out of the 1,524 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Medgar Evers College landed the #5 spot on the list. Medgar is a small public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 225 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #6, Haverford College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. This small school is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 59 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Northland College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Ashland, Wisconsin, and it awarded 22 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Whitman College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Whitman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Walla Walla, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
With a ranking of #9, Kalamazoo College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Kalamazoo College is a small school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 61 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #10. Socorro, New Mexico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Carleton College ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Carleton is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 61 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Reed College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. This small school is located in Portland, Oregon, and it awarded 37 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Middlesex County College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #13. Edison, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 207 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Middlesex County College
United States Coast Guard Academy landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. USCGA is a public institution located in New London, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Princeton University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 216 students in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Western Nevada College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. This small school is located in Carson City, Nevada, and it awarded 106 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Dillard University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Dillard University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Orleans, Louisiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
United States Naval Academy did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #18. Annapolis is a small school located in Annapolis, Maryland that handed out 104 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
West Virginia Wesleyan College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #19. West Virginia Wesleyan College is located in Buckhannon, West Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at West Virginia Wesleyan College
South Seattle College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. South Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Williams College ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 63 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Pomona College ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Pomona is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 34 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
University of Puerto Rico - Humacao did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #23. UPR Humacao is a public institution located in Humacao, . The school has a small population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Puerto Rico - Humacao
Bates College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Bates College is a small school located in Lewiston, Maine that handed out 46 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Beloit College ranked #25 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 90%.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Ripon College | Ripon, WI |
| 52 | North Central Michigan College | Petoskey, MI |
| 53 | Wellesley College | Wellesley, MA |
| 54 | North Seattle College | Seattle, WA |
| 55 | The Graduate Center, CUNY | New York, NY |
| 56 | Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA |
| 57 | Juniata College | Huntingdon, PA |
| 58 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA |
| 59 | University of California - Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, CA |
| 60 | Chandler-Gilbert Community College | Chandler, AZ |
| 61 | Hampden - Sydney College | Hampden-Sydney, VA |
| 62 | Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley, MA |
| 63 | Skidmore College | Saratoga Springs, NY |
| 64 | Davidson College | Davidson, NC |
| 65 | Randolph College | Lynchburg, VA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Bowdoin College | Brunswick, ME |
| 67 | Morehouse College | Atlanta, GA |
| 68 | Ursinus College | Collegeville, PA |
| 69 | Occidental College | Los Angeles, CA |
| 70 | Macalester College | Saint Paul, MN |
| 71 | Rice University | Houston, TX |
| 72 | University of California - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 73 | Albion College | Albion, MI |
| 74 | Bryn Mawr College | Bryn Mawr, PA |
| 75 | Stanford University | Stanford, CA |
| 76 | Smith College | Northampton, MA |
| 77 | Knox College | Galesburg, IL |
| 78 | Pacific Lutheran University | Tacoma, WA |
| 79 | Franklin and Marshall College | Lancaster, PA |
| 80 | University of California - San Diego | La Jolla, CA |
| 81 | St Olaf College | Northfield, MN |
| 82 | Union College New York | Schenectady, NY |
| 83 | Wells College | Aurora, NY |
| 84 | Tougaloo College | Tougaloo, MS |
| 85 | Marietta College | Marietta, OH |
| 86 | Oberlin College | Oberlin, OH |
| 87 | Wofford College | Spartanburg, SC |
| 88 | Westmont College | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 89 | Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| 90 | Colorado School of Mines | Golden, CO |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | Lake Superior State University | Sault Ste Marie, MI |
| 92 | Kenyon College | Gambier, OH |
| 93 | College of the Holy Cross | Worcester, MA |
| 94 | University of Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 95 | University of Rochester | Rochester, NY |
| 96 | Emory and Henry College | Emory, VA |
| 97 | Covenant College | Lookout Mountain, GA |
| 98 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy, NY |
| 99 | Allegheny College | Meadville, PA |
| 100 | University of California - Merced | Merced, CA |
| 101 | Middlebury College | Middlebury, VT |
| 102 | SUNY Geneseo | Geneseo, NY |
| 103 | Estrella Mountain Community College | Avondale, AZ |
| 104 | Wright State University - Lake Campus | Celina, OH |
| 105 | University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez | Mayaguez, PR |
| 106 | Brown University | Providence, RI |
| 107 | Hanover College | Hanover, IN |
| 108 | Mississippi State University | Mississippi State, MS |
| 109 | Randolph - Macon College | Ashland, VA |
| 110 | Yale University | New Haven, CT |
| 111 | Hope College | Holland, MI |
| 112 | University of Alabama in Huntsville | Huntsville, AL |
| 113 | Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 114 | University of Mary Washington | Fredericksburg, VA |
| 115 | Centre College | Danville, KY |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 141 | El Camino College | Torrance, CA |
| 142 | University of North Carolina at Asheville | Asheville, NC |
| 143 | St Lawrence University | Canton, NY |
| 144 | Montana Technological University | Butte, MT |
| 145 | University of Puerto Rico - Cayey | Cayey, PR |
| 146 | Roanoke College | Salem, VA |
| 147 | Saint Norbert College | De Pere, WI |
| 148 | Greenville University | Greenville, IL |
| 149 | Willamette University | Salem, OR |
| 150 | Erskine College | Due West, SC |
| 151 | Colgate University | Hamilton, NY |
| 152 | Agnes Scott College | Decatur, GA |
| 153 | Southwestern University | Georgetown, TX |
| 154 | Green River College | Auburn, WA |
| 155 | Montana State University | Bozeman, MT |
| 156 | Earlham College | Richmond, IN |
| 157 | Dickinson College | Carlisle, PA |
| 157 | Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences | Fayette, MO |
| 159 | Mount Wachusett Community College | Gardner, MA |
| 160 | Mesa Community College | Mesa, AZ |
| 161 | Susquehanna University | Selinsgrove, PA |
| 162 | Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg, PA |
| 163 | Florida Institute of Technology | Melbourne, FL |
| 164 | Compton College | Compton, CA |
| 165 | Scripps College | Claremont, CA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 216 | Cuyamaca College | El Cajon, CA |
| 217 | Tulsa Community College | Tulsa, OK |
| 218 | Rust College | Holly Springs, MS |
| 219 | Humboldt State University | Arcata, CA |
| 220 | Christopher Newport University | Newport News, VA |
| 221 | Lehigh University | Bethlehem, PA |
| 222 | Binghamton University | Vestal, NY |
| 223 | Saint Johns University | Collegeville, MN |
| 224 | University of Oregon | Eugene, OR |
| 225 | Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH |
| 226 | Shoreline Community College | Shoreline, WA |
| 227 | Southern Arkansas University Main Campus | Magnolia, AR |
| 228 | Oklahoma Wesleyan University | Bartlesville, OK |
| 229 | University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
