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2025 Best Physical Sciences Schools in New York

23 Colleges in New York
4,194 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.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 23 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physical Sciences Schools in New York ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 4,194 degrees in physical sciences to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Physical Sciences School

Best Physical Sciences Schools in New York Your choice of physical sciences school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Physical Sciences Rankings by 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

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 New York list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 New York

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 New York Schools in Physical Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
251 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$34,658 Median Starting Salary

Columbia University in the City of New York is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in physical sciences. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 251 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the physical sciences program make about $34,658 in their early career salary.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$60,348 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute if you wish to pursue a degree in physical sciences. RPI is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Troy. A Best Colleges rank of #64 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means RPI is a great school overall.

There were about 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 earn $13,345 more than the typical physical sciences student.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In NY
191 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded

Any student who is interested in physical sciences needs to look into University of Rochester. Located in the city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #82 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University of Rochester is a great university overall.

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

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
256 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$37,833 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Cornell University if you wish to pursue a degree in physical sciences. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 schools 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 data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program report average early career wages of $37,833.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Cornell University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$48,374 Median Starting Salary

RIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Rochester. A Best Colleges rank of #147 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means RIT is a great school overall.

There were approximately 131 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at RIT 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 $48,374.

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

6
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
274 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
4.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Stony Brook, SUNY Stony Brook is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #153 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SUNY Stony Brook is a great university overall.

There were roughly 274 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at SUNY Stony Brook in the most recent data year. After graduating, physical sciences degree recipients generally earn an average of $35,647 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Stony Brook University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
165 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$37,931 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Buffalo, University at Buffalo is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #171 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University at Buffalo is a great university overall.

There were about 165 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at University at Buffalo in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, physical sciences degree recipients usually make an average of $37,931 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University at Buffalo

8
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
19th Most Popular In NY
92 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded

Syracuse is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Syracuse. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Syracuse is a great university overall.

There were roughly 92 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Syracuse University

9
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
209 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$30,299 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were about 209 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the physical sciences program make an average of $30,299 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from New York University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
155 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$35,115 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize suburb of Vestal, Binghamton University is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #154 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Binghamton University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 155 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Binghamton University in the most recent data year. After graduation, physical sciences degree recipients typically earn about $35,115 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Binghamton University

Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

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

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

View All Rankings >

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 1,347
Physics 1,121
General Physical Sciences 755
Geological & Earth Sciences 503
Other Physical Science 216
Astronomy & Astrophysics 93
Materials Sciences 85
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 74

View All Physical Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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