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2024 Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia

10 Colleges in Virginia
1,478 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$32,871 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.

College Factual looked at 10 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,478 degrees in physical sciences during the 2020-2021 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great Physical Sciences School

Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia 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 picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. 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 Virginia

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 Virginia Schools in Physical Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
241 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
22.8% Growth in Graduates

University of Virginia - Main Campus is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in physical sciences. University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Charlottesville. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 241 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia 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 income of $28,682.

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

2
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
120 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$27,623 Median Starting Salary

William & Mary is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in physical sciences. Located in the suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were approximately 120 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn about $27,623 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from William & Mary

3
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
205 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$31,205 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in physical sciences has to take a look at Virginia Tech. Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were about 205 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program report average early career wages of $31,205.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Virginia Tech

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
149 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$38,592 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Virginia Commonwealth University if you want to pursue a degree in physical sciences. Located in the midsize city of Richmond, VCU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 149 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent year we have data available. Physical Sciences degree recipients from Virginia Commonwealth University get an earnings boost of around $5,721 over the average earnings of physical sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
95 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$37,112 Median Starting Salary

GMU is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were about 95 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available. Physical Sciences degree recipients from George Mason University earn a boost of around $4,241 over the average earnings of physical sciences majors.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from George Mason University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
8.1% Growth in Graduates

CNU is a small public university located in the midsize city of Newport News. This university ranks 17th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 37 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at CNU in the most recent data year. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from Christopher Newport University receive $6,426 more than the average physical sciences graduate.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Christopher Newport University

7
UMW crest
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$25,166 Median Starting Salary

UMW is a small public university located in the midsize suburb of Fredericksburg. This university ranks 21st out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 53 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UMW in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn around $25,166 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Mary Washington

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$21,038 Median Starting Salary

RBC is a small public college located in the rural area of South Prince George. This college ranks 18th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 157 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at RBC in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, physical sciences degree recipients usually earn about $21,038 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Richard Bland College of William and Mary

9
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
89 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
22.5% Growth in Graduates

JMU is a very large public university located in the small city of Harrisonburg. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 89 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program state that they receive average early career earnings of $28,747.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from James Madison University

10
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$34,461 Median Starting Salary

Radford is a medium-sized public university located in the small suburb of Radford. This university ranks 23rd out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 34 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Radford in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program report average early career wages of $34,461.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Radford University

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
North Carolina 38 1,591
West Virginia 38 238
Mississippi 38 518
South Carolina 38 424
Florida 38 1,496
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 691
Physics 353
General Physical Sciences 157
Geological & Earth Sciences 144
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 54
Other Physical Science 47
Astronomy & Astrophysics 27
Materials Sciences 5

View All Physical Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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