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2024 Best Physical Sciences Schools in North Carolina

9 Colleges in North Carolina
1,594 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$41,310 Avg Early-Career Salary
Physical Sciences is about average in terms of popularity for degree programs. That is, it ranks #19 out of the 38 majors across the country that we analyze each year. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 9 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physical Sciences Schools in North Carolina ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,594 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 North Carolina 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. We derive our Best Overall Physical Sciences School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

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

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Physical Sciences Schools in North Carolina list to help you make the college decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Physical Sciences in North Carolina

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the physical sciences degree levels they offer.

Top North Carolina Schools in Physical Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
314 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$41,551 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in physical sciences has to check out University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were approximately 314 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program state that they receive average early career income of $41,551.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
18.4% Growth in Graduates

Wake Forest University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in physical sciences. Located in the medium-sized city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #128 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Wake Forest University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 49 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Wake Forest University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn around $37,985 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Wake Forest University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
194 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
3.6% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat North Carolina State University if you want to pursue a degree in physical sciences. Located in the city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 194 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the physical sciences major at North Carolina State University get $8,457 more than the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from North Carolina State University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
9.9% Growth in Graduates

East Carolina University is a great option for students pursuing a degree in physical sciences. Located in the city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 131 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at ECU in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn around $37,231 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from East Carolina University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$39,524 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 17th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were about 70 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at WCU in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn around $39,524 in their early career salary.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
129 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
6.2% Growth in Graduates

UNCW is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Wilmington. This university ranks 10th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 129 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UNCW in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the physical sciences program at University of North Carolina at Wilmington earn $3,872 more than the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of North Carolina at Wilmington

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
174 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
14.4% Growth in Graduates

UNC Charlotte is a very large public university located in the large city of Charlotte. A Best Colleges rank of #378 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNC Charlotte is a great university overall.

There were approximately 174 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UNC Charlotte in the most recent data year. After graduation, physical sciences degree recipients generally earn around $35,173 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of North Carolina at Charlotte

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$40,599 Median Starting Salary

Appalachian State is a fairly large public university located in the town of Boone. This university ranks 9th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 107 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Appalachian State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn about $40,599 for their early career.

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

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$24,923 Median Starting Salary
$15,576 Median Student Debt

UNCA is a small public university located in the small city of Asheville. This university ranks 57th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 29 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UNCA in the most recent data year. After graduating, physical sciences degree recipients typically make around $24,923 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of North Carolina at Asheville

Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
West Virginia 38 238
Mississippi 38 518
South Carolina 38 424
Florida 38 1,496
Virginia 38 1,474
Arkansas 38 370
Alabama 37 554
Kentucky 37 455
Georgia 37 1,064
Tennessee 37 721
Louisiana 37 473

View All Rankings >

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 882
Physics 356
Geological & Earth Sciences 263
Other Physical Science 47
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 37
Materials Sciences 9

View All Physical Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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