2024 Best Physical Sciences Schools
248
Colleges in the United States
49,473
Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$40,118
Avg Early-Career Salary
Physical Sciences isn't the most popular major in the world, but it's not the least popular either. To be more precise it ranks #19 in popularity out of 38 majors in the country. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 248 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for physical sciences students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 49,473 degrees in physical sciences to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Physical Sciences School
Your choice of physical sciences school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for physical sciences schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Physical Sciences Rankings by Degree Level
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 Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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 Physical Sciences in the United States
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the physical sciences degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
25 Top Schools in Physical Sciences
Stanford University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in physical sciences. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.
There were about 243 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the physical sciences major at Stanford University earn $17,300 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from Stanford University
University of Chicago is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in physical sciences. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.
There were approximately 361 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. Physical Sciences degree recipients from University of Chicago receive an earnings boost of approximately $4,372 over the typical income of physical sciences graduates.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Chicago
Every student pursuing a degree in physical sciences has to look into Northwestern University. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were about 122.99999999999999 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from Northwestern University earn $31,962 more than the average physical sciences graduate.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from Northwestern University
It is hard to beat University of California - Berkeley if you want to pursue a degree in physical sciences. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were roughly 547 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Physical Sciences degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley earn a boost of about $28,456 above the typical earnings of physical sciences graduates.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of California - Berkeley
Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.
There were roughly 263 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Physical Sciences degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University receive an earnings boost of about $12,680 above the typical earnings of physical sciences graduates.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from Johns Hopkins University
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 431 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from University of California - Santa Barbara earn $17,681 more than the typical physical sciences grad.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of California - Santa Barbara
Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 342 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Physical Sciences degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive an earnings boost of about $19,493 above the average earnings of physical sciences majors.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.
There were approximately 256 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, physical sciences degree recipients generally make about $38,146 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from Cornell University
UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the large city of La Jolla. This university ranks 8th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 628 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the physical sciences degree program at University of California - San Diego make $9,178 more than the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of California - San Diego
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were approximately 390 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. After graduating, physical sciences degree recipients generally make about $40,129 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.
There were about 377 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the physical sciences program at University of Wisconsin - Madison earn $5,141 more than the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There were approximately 396 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the physical sciences program at The University of Texas at Austin get $9,141 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from The University of Texas at Austin
U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.
There were about 379 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. After graduation, physical sciences degree recipients typically make an average of $31,888 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
UMCP is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of College Park. This university ranks 2nd out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.
There were about 265 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the physical sciences major at University of Maryland - College Park earn $9,237 more than the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Maryland - College Park
Located in the medium-sized city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There were roughly 363 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year. Physical Sciences degree recipients from Texas A&M University - College Station earn a boost of about $10,616 over the average income of physical sciences graduates.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from Texas A&M University - College Station
Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.
There were roughly 120 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from University of Notre Dame earn $22,713 more than the standard physical sciences graduate.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Notre Dame
Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.
There were about 276 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Physical Sciences degree recipients from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn a boost of approximately $4,777 above the average earnings of physical sciences majors.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Located in the large city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 26 schools for overall quality in the state of Arizona.
There were roughly 376 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Arizona in the most recent year we have data available. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from University of Arizona receive $28,598 more than the standard physical sciences graduate.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Arizona
Located in the large suburb of Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 11th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
There were roughly 177 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UMass Amherst in the most recent data year. Physical Sciences degree recipients from University of Massachusetts Amherst receive an earnings boost of around $11,556 over the average earnings of physical sciences majors.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Massachusetts Amherst
UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Irvine. This university ranks 15th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 350 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program report average early career income of $40,888.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of California - Irvine
Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.
There were roughly 169 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the physical sciences program make about $20,784 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from Emory University
Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Pasadena. A Best Colleges rank of #31 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Caltech is a great school overall.
There were roughly 158 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Caltech in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the physical sciences major at California Institute of Technology get $19,878 more than the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from California Institute of Technology
University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the small suburb of Charlottesville. This university ranks 1st out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were roughly 236 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn an average of $28,682 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Virginia - Main Campus
Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 51 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.
There were about 543 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program state that they receive average early career income of $40,318.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Ohio State is a very large public university located in the large city of Columbus. This university ranks 2nd out of 96 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.
There were approximately 366 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from Ohio State University - Main Campus make $13,811 more than the standard physical sciences student.
More information about a degree in physical sciences from Ohio State University - Main Campus