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2024 Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges in Illinois
1,688 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$48,248 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.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 10 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 1,688 degrees in physical sciences during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Physical Sciences School

Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois 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.

Pick Your Physical Sciences Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Physical Sciences
Master's Degrees in Physical Sciences
Doctor's Degrees in Physical Sciences

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.

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 Illinois

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.

10 Top Illinois Schools in Physical Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
317 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
11.7% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat University of Chicago if you wish to pursue a degree in physical sciences. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 317.00000000000006 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program state that they receive average early career wages of $44,491.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Chicago

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
146 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
15.1% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern University is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in physical sciences. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 146 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 $23,832 more than the typical physical sciences student.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Northwestern University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
375 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$59,612 Median Starting Salary

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in physical sciences. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 375 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Physical Sciences degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive an earnings boost of about $11,364 over the typical income of physical sciences majors.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$78,333 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in physical sciences has to take a look at Illinois Institute of Technology. Illinois Tech is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. This school ranks 9th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 53 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Illinois Tech in the most recent data year. Physical Sciences degree recipients from Illinois Institute of Technology earn a boost of around $30,085 over the typical earnings of physical sciences majors.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Illinois Institute of Technology

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
103 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
22.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were about 103 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, physical sciences degree recipients typically make an average of $36,439 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Illinois at Chicago

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
8.5% Growth in Graduates

Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were about 47 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, physical sciences degree recipients usually earn about $37,122 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Loyola University Chicago

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$41,427 Median Starting Salary

Illinois State is a very large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal. This university ranks 8th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 70 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year. After graduating, physical sciences degree recipients generally earn an average of $41,427 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Illinois State University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$38,243 Median Starting Salary

SIUE is a large public university located in the large suburb of Edwardsville. This university ranks 31st out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 42 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program report average early career earnings of $38,243.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$35,020 Median Starting Salary

Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 39th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 51 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at WIU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, physical sciences degree recipients generally earn an average of $35,020 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Western Illinois University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$28,590 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 24th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 71 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn around $28,590 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Northern Illinois University

Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 38 948
Michigan 38 1,282
Ohio 38 1,579
Wisconsin 37 873

View All Rankings >

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 922
Physics 483
Geological & Earth Sciences 140
Astronomy & Astrophysics 74
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 42
General Physical Sciences 24
Materials Sciences 2
Other Physical Science 1

View All Physical Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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