by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for physical sciences students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,028 bachelor's degrees in physical sciences to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of physical sciences for getting your bachelor'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. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
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 bachelor's degree.
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 Best Physical Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in Virginia list to help you make the college decision.
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.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in physical sciences.
University of Virginia - Main Campus is a good choice for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Charlottesville.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of Virginia - Main Campus
Virginia Commonwealth University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. VCU is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Richmond.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University
It is hard to beat William & Mary if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from William & Mary
Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in physical sciences needs to take a look at Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Virginia Tech
Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from George Mason University
Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from James Madison University
Old Dominion is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Norfolk.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Old Dominion University
Located in the midsize city of Newport News, CNU is a public university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Christopher Newport University
Located in the midsize city of University of Richmond, URichmond is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of Richmond
Located in the midsize suburb of Fredericksburg, UMW is a public university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of Mary Washington
Explore all the Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 34 | 1,153 |
| Mississippi | 34 | 303 |
| Florida | 34 | 1,037 |
| Alabama | 33 | 431 |
| Georgia | 33 | 816 |
| West Virginia | 32 | 189 |
| Tennessee | 32 | 560 |
| South Carolina | 32 | 335 |
| Kentucky | 31 | 363 |
| Louisiana | 31 | 331 |
| Arkansas | 30 | 299 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 531 |
| Physics | 294 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 112 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 44 |
| Other Physical Science | 37 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 10 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 3,588 |
| Engineering | 3,366 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 761 |
| Natural Resources & Conservation | 536 |
| Engineering Technologies | 405 |
| Agriculture & Agriculture Operations | 298 |
| Architecture & Related Services | 248 |
| Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 82 |
