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.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 6 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,660 degrees in physical sciences annually.
The physical sciences program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Physical Sciences rankings. 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.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
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 in Illinois 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.
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.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in physical sciences. UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.
There were about 342 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the physical sciences degree program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn $10,062 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
Illinois State University is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in physical sciences. Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the midsize suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were approximately 69 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year.
University of Illinois at Chicago is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in physical sciences. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #254 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.
There were about 106 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn around $37,280 for their early career.
Any student pursuing a degree in physical sciences has to check out Western Illinois University. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 37th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were roughly 36 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at WIU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program report average early career wages of $31,980.
SIUE is a large public university located in the large suburb of Edwardsville. This university ranks 31st out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 48 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, physical sciences degree recipients usually earn about $46,659 in the first five years of their career.
Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 20th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 87 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program state that they receive average early career earnings of $43,061.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
The physical sciences program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Physical Sciences rankings. 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.
