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2025 Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

44 Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
8,936 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$47,003 Avg Early-Career Salary
When it comes to popularity, physical sciences sits in the middle of the road, ranking #19 out of 38 majors in the country. So, you may have to do some digging around to find quality schools that offer the degree program. This list can help with that.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 44 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to determine which ones were the best for physical sciences students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 8,936 degrees in physical sciences to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Physical Sciences School

Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region 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. For our Best Overall Physical Sciences School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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

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

The physical sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Physical Sciences in the Middle Atlantic Region

The schools below may not offer all types of physical sciences degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Middle Atlantic Region Schools in Physical Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
263 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
7.2% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat Johns Hopkins University if you wish to pursue a degree in physical sciences. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 263 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the physical sciences program at Johns Hopkins University make $19,008 above the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Johns Hopkins University

2
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In PA
59 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded

It's hard to beat Lehigh University if you wish to pursue a degree in physical sciences. Lehigh is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Bethlehem. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Lehigh is a great university overall.

There were about 59 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Lehigh in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Lehigh University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
251 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$34,658 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in physical sciences has to look into Columbia University in the City of New York. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 251 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the physical sciences program make about $34,658 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Columbia University in the City of New York

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$60,348 Median Starting Salary

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in physical sciences. Located in the small city of Troy, RPI is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #64 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means RPI is a great school overall.

There were roughly 83 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at RPI in the most recent data year. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute make $13,345 more than the average physical sciences student.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In NY
191 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded

University of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Rochester. A Best Colleges rank of #82 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Rochester is a great university overall.

There were approximately 191 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Rochester in the most recent data year.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
256 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$37,833 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were roughly 256 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Cornell 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 $37,833.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Cornell University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
115 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$71,179 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Newark, UD is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 3 colleges for overall quality in the state of Delaware.

There were approximately 115 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UD in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the physical sciences degree program at University of Delaware earn $24,176 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

8
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$77,371 Median Starting Salary

Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Villanova. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Villanova is a great university overall.

There were approximately 65 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent data year. Physical Sciences degree recipients from Villanova University earn a boost of approximately $30,368 over the typical earnings of physical sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Villanova University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
235 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
5.5% Growth in Graduates

Pitt is a very large public university located in the city of Pittsburgh. A Best Colleges rank of #85 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Pitt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 235 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Pitt 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 $43,617.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
265 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$42,011 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were roughly 265 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UMCP 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 $42,011.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Maryland - College Park

Best Physical Sciences Colleges by State

Explore the best physical sciences colleges for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New Jersey 38 1,087
Pennsylvania 38 2,556
New York 38 4,474
Maryland 37 930
Delaware 33 155
District of Columbia 33 190

View All Rankings >

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 3,154
Physics 2,477
Geological & Earth Sciences 1,215
General Physical Sciences 1,011
Other Physical Science 311
Materials Sciences 262
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 256
Astronomy & Astrophysics 250

View All Physical Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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