2026 Best Natural Sciences Doctoral Degree Schools
Looking for the best Natural Sciences doctoral degree programs in the United States? Our ranking highlights 157 schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology. The rankings below weigh factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and admissions selectivity.
So you can compare your options, Course Advisor reviewed schools to produce this 2026 ranking, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). View our full ranking methodology.
Top 25 Natural Sciences Doctoral Degree Schools in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Virginia Commonwealth University tops our 2026 ranking of the best Natural Sciences doctoral degree schools in the United States. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public school based in Richmond, VA. Virginia Commonwealth University posts a six-year graduation rate of 63%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,720, compared with $39,884 for out-of-state students. Typical Natural Sciences student debt is $23,813. See the full Virginia Commonwealth University profile
University Of Arizona came in at #2 on this year's Natural Sciences ranking in the United States. Based in Tucson, AZ, University Of Arizona is a public institution. About 68% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,573, while out-of-state students pay about $39,903. Students borrow a median of $21,861 to complete their Natural Sciences program here. Read more about University Of Arizona
The strong Natural Sciences programs at University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs earned it the #3 place in the United States. This public school is set in Colorado Springs, CO. University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs graduates 47% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $10,906, while out-of-state students pay about $25,039. The median Natural Sciences program debt is $23,559. Read the full report on University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs
A rank of #4 makes San Jacinto Community College one of the top choices in the United States. Get the full San Jacinto Community College report
University At Buffalo came in at #5 on this year's Natural Sciences ranking in the United States. More on University At Buffalo
Estrella Mountain Community College placed #6 among Natural Sciences schools in the United States. More on Estrella Mountain Community College
California State University Fullerton ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best Natural Sciences schools. Read the full report on California State University Fullerton
Eckerd College did well this year, earning the #8 position. Get the full Eckerd College report
Bossier Parish Community College did well this year, earning the #9 position. Read the full report on Bossier Parish Community College
Hawaii Community College landed the #10 spot in the United States this year. See the full Hawaii Community College profile
The University Of Texas At El Paso landed the #11 spot in the United States this year. Get the full The University Of Texas At El Paso report
Wagner College
Wagner College placed #12 among Natural Sciences schools in the United States. Read more about Wagner College
University Of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best Natural Sciences schools. Read the full report on University Of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras
Fairleigh Dickinson University College At Florham landed the #14 spot in the United States this year. See the full Fairleigh Dickinson University College At Florham profile
Saint Thomas Aquinas College landed the #15 spot in the United States this year. See the full Saint Thomas Aquinas College profile
Hiram College
Hiram College did well this year, earning the #16 position. Get the full Hiram College report
Georgian Court University did well this year, earning the #17 position. More on Georgian Court University
Laramie County Community College came in at #18 in this year's ranking. Read the full report on Laramie County Community College
Lee College
Lee College came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Read the full report on Lee College
Edp College Of Puerto Rico Inc San Juan ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best Natural Sciences schools. More on Edp College Of Puerto Rico Inc San Juan
Harvard University landed the #21 spot in the United States this year. See the full Harvard University profile
Alverno College
Alverno College came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Read the full report on Alverno College
Colorado State University Pueblo landed the #23 spot in the United States this year. Read more about Colorado State University Pueblo
Mount Aloysius College did well this year, earning the #24 position. More on Mount Aloysius College
Roberts Wesleyan College came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Read more about Roberts Wesleyan College
Rest of the Top 50 Best Natural Sciences Doctoral Degree Schools in the United States
Not far behind, these schools also made the top of the list:
Northeastern State University ranked #26 on our 2026 list of the best Natural Sciences schools. Get the full Northeastern State University report
Colorado State University Fort Collins placed #27 among Natural Sciences schools in the United States. Read more about Colorado State University Fort Collins
Bard College At Simons Rock landed the #28 spot in the United States this year. More on Bard College At Simons Rock
University Of Hawaii Maui College came in at #29 in this year's ranking. Get the full University Of Hawaii Maui College report
California State University Bakersfield landed the #30 spot in the United States this year. Read the full report on California State University Bakersfield
California State University Chico placed #31 among Natural Sciences schools in the United States. More on California State University Chico
Daemen College
Daemen College ranked #32 on our 2026 list of the best Natural Sciences schools. See the full Daemen College profile
Gateway Community College Phoenix did well this year, earning the #33 position. Get the full Gateway Community College Phoenix report
Ohio State University Main Campus placed #34 among Natural Sciences schools in the United States. Read the full report on Ohio State University Main Campus
College Of Mount St Joseph landed the #35 spot in the United States this year. More on College Of Mount St Joseph
Saint Vincent College ranked #36 on our 2026 list of the best Natural Sciences schools. More on Saint Vincent College
The University Of Texas At Brownsville came in at #37 in this year's ranking. Read the full report on The University Of Texas At Brownsville
Edp College Of Puerto Rico Inc San Sebastian did well this year, earning the #38 position. See the full Edp College Of Puerto Rico Inc San Sebastian profile
Paradise Valley Community College did well this year, earning the #39 position. See the full Paradise Valley Community College profile
South Mountain Community College came in at #40 in this year's ranking. See the full South Mountain Community College profile
Rochester Community And Technical College ranked #41 on our 2026 list of the best Natural Sciences schools. Get the full Rochester Community And Technical College report
Temple University came in at #42 in this year's ranking. Read the full report on Temple University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute came in at #43 in this year's ranking. Get the full Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute report
Oklahoma Baptist University ranked #44 on our 2026 list of the best Natural Sciences schools. More on Oklahoma Baptist University
Concordia College At Moorhead did well this year, earning the #45 position. Read more about Concordia College At Moorhead
Pepperdine University came in at #46 in this year's ranking. More on Pepperdine University
Saint Johns University came in at #47 in this year's ranking. Read more about Saint Johns University
University Of Washington Seattle Campus placed #48 among Natural Sciences schools in the United States. Get the full University Of Washington Seattle Campus report
Redlands Community College placed #49 among Natural Sciences schools in the United States. More on Redlands Community College
Mohave Community College came in at #50 in this year's ranking. Read more about Mohave Community College
Related Natural Sciences Rankings
See rankings for other degree levels:
- Best Natural Sciences Schools (All Levels)
- Best Natural Sciences Certificate Degree Schools
- Best Natural Sciences Undergraduate Certificate Degree Schools
- Best Natural Sciences Associate’s Degree Schools
- Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools
- Best Natural Sciences Graduate Certificate Degree Schools
- Best Natural Sciences Master’s Degree Schools
Ranking Methodology & Notes
These rankings are produced by Course Advisor (DMS_RANKING_2023), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and admissions data drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: Dms College Quality · Scope: Nation. *Averages shown above reflect the top 157 ranked schools only.
References
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) — National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education (core institutional data).
- College Scorecard — U.S. Department of Education (graduate earnings and outcomes data).
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