by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 20 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for physical sciences students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,963 bachelor's degrees in physical sciences during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The physical sciences bachelor'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. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
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 ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
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 colleges for physical sciences students working on their bachelor'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 Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in physical sciences.
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in physical sciences needs to take a look at Iowa State University. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Iowa State University
University of Nebraska - Lincoln is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. UNL is a fairly large public university located in the city of Lincoln.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Washington University in St Louis is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Washington University in St Louis
Iowa is a fairly large public university located in the city of Iowa City.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of Iowa
St. Olaf is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Northfield.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from St Olaf College
Carleton is a small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Northfield.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Carleton College
UMN Duluth is a moderately-sized public university located in the city of Duluth.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of Minnesota - Duluth
KU is a very large public university located in the city of Lawrence.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of Kansas
Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Saint Charles.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Lindenwood University
Explore the best physical sciences colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 35 | 546 |
| Kansas | 33 | 220 |
| Minnesota | 33 | 714 |
| Iowa | 32 | 321 |
| South Dakota | 31 | 89 |
| Nebraska | 31 | 188 |
| North Dakota | 30 | 60 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 1,047 |
| Physics | 477 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 274 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 102 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 34 |
| General Physical Sciences | 20 |
| Other Physical Science | 9 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 8,755 |
| Engineering | 7,739 |
| Agriculture & Agriculture Operations | 3,075 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 1,903 |
| Natural Resources & Conservation | 1,365 |
| Engineering Technologies | 1,170 |
| Architecture & Related Services | 621 |
| Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 114 |
| Science Technologies / Technicians | 3 |
