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2025 Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region

25 Colleges in the Southwest Region
5,076 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$47,003 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.

College Factual looked at 25 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 5,076 degrees in physical sciences annually.

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

Choosing a Great Physical Sciences School

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

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 the Southwest Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. 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 the Southwest Region

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 Southwest Region Schools in Physical Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
376 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
0.5% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in physical sciences has to take a look at University of Arizona. Located in the large city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #110 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Arizona is a great university overall.

There were approximately 376 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Arizona in the most recent data year. Physical Sciences degree recipients from University of Arizona get an earnings boost of about $16,825 above the average earnings of physical sciences graduates.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
363 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$50,117 Median Starting Salary

Texas A&M University - College Station is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in physical sciences. Located in the midsize city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Texas A&M College Station is a great university overall.

There were roughly 363 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the physical sciences program at Texas A&M University - College Station get $3,114 more than the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Texas A&M University - College Station

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
396 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
11.4% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in physical sciences has to check out The University of Texas at Austin. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #46 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were about 396 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, physical sciences degree recipients usually earn an average of $39,766 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from The University of Texas at Austin

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
237 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
1.3% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of Oklahoma Norman Campus if you wish to pursue a degree in physical sciences. Located in the midsize suburb of Norman, University of Oklahoma is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #191 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University of Oklahoma is a great university overall.

There were approximately 237 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Oklahoma in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, physical sciences degree recipients generally earn around $39,388 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
182 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$67,594 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Houston, UH is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 14th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 182 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UH in the most recent year we have data available. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from University of Houston earn $20,591 more than the standard physical sciences graduate.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
281 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
17.8% Growth in Graduates

ASU - Tempe is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Tempe. A Best Colleges rank of #108 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means ASU - Tempe is a great university overall.

There were roughly 281 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program report average early career earnings of $36,939.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Arizona State University - Tempe

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
126 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
7.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Richardson, UT Dallas is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #209 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UT Dallas is a great university overall.

There were approximately 126 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UT Dallas in the most recent data year. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from The University of Texas at Dallas make $10,401 more than the typical physical sciences graduate.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from The University of Texas at Dallas

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
143 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
0.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Flagstaff, NAU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #221 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means NAU is a great university overall.

There were about 143 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at NAU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program report average early career income of $41,378.

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

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In OK
78 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded

OSU is a fairly large public university located in the town of Stillwater. A Best Colleges rank of #366 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means OSU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 78 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at OSU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
122 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$48,878 Median Starting Salary

Texas Tech is a very large public university located in the city of Lubbock. A Best Colleges rank of #161 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Texas Tech is a great university overall.

There were approximately 122 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Texas Tech 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 $48,878.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Texas Tech University

Best Physical Sciences Colleges by State

Explore the best physical sciences schools for a specific state in the Southwest Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Arizona 38 1,461
Texas 38 2,792
New Mexico 38 285
Oklahoma 38 558

View All Rankings >

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 1,750
Physics 1,164
Geological & Earth Sciences 954
General Physical Sciences 817
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 164
Astronomy & Astrophysics 160
Materials Sciences 45
Physics and Astronomy 22

View All Physical Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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