Bachelor’s Degrees in Physical Sciences
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Education Levels of Physical Sciences Majors
In 2020-2021, 30,906 earned their bachelor's degree in physical sciences. This makes it the 18th most popular bachelor's degree program in the country.
The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in physical sciences at each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 30,906 |
| Master’s Degree | 6,760 |
| Associate Degree | 6,428 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 5,726 |
| Basic Certificate | 220 |
| Graduate Certificate | 219 |
| Undergraduate Certificate | 47 |
Earnings of Physical Sciences Majors With Bachelor’s Degrees
The median salary for graduates holding a bachelor's degree in physical sciences is $36,873. This number may vary for a lot of reasons. For instance, you may decide to move to a location where people with your degree are rare and make more money. A better approximation of salary is to look at the typical range of salaries. In this case the low is $33,040 and the high is $40,776.
Student Debt
The median student debt for graduates holding a bachelor's degree in physical sciences is $24,050. The length of time it takes you to graduate and what college you attend can affect this number quite a bit. The chart below shows the range of accumulated debt loads. On the high side of the range, $26,606 is the debt load, and the debt load on the low side is $20,254.
The median monthly payment of a physical sciences graduate with a 10-year repayment plan is $344.
Student Diversity
More men than women pursue bachelor's degrees in physical sciences. About 55.4% of graduates in this field are male.
| Gender | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Men | 17,135 |
| Women | 13,771 |
The racial-ethnic distribution of physical sciences bachelor’s degree students is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 2,940 |
| Black or African American | 1,657 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,948 |
| White | 17,893 |
| International Students | 2,276 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 2,192 |
Most Popular Physical Sciences Programs for Bachelor’s Degrees
There are 1,193 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in physical sciences. Learn more about the most popular 20 below:
University of Washington - Seattle Campus tops the list of the most popular school in the U.S. for physical sciences majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree. Roughly 48,100 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,927 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $16,605 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 420 bachelor's degrees were handed out to physical sciences majors at UW Seattle. Around 32% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 33% were women.
University of California - San Diego is the 2nd most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Each year, around 39,500 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,442 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,442 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 410 bachelor's degrees were handed out to physical sciences majors at UCSD. About 47% of this group were women, and 61% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Pennsylvania State University - University Park is the 3rd most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Roughly 89,800 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $15,400 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $23,189 per year. The physical sciences program at Pennsylvania State University - University Park awarded 370 bachelor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 20% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 32% were women.
University of California - Berkeley comes in at #4 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in physical sciences. Roughly 42,300 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,442 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,442 per year. The physical sciences program at University of California - Berkeley awarded 357 bachelor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. About 40% of this group were women, and 50% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of California - Santa Barbara is the 5th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Each year, around 26,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,442 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,442 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 296 people received their bachelor's degree in physical sciences from UCSB. About 31% of this group were women, and 41% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of California - Santa Cruz comes in at #6 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in physical sciences. Each year, around 19,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,442 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,442 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 274 bachelor's degrees were handed out to physical sciences majors at UC Santa Cruz. About 34% of this group were women, and 48% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of California - Irvine is the 7th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Each year, around 36,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,442 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,442 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 266 people received their bachelor's degree in physical sciences from UC Irvine. About 44% of this group were women, and 66% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The University of Texas at Austin comes in at #7 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in physical sciences. Each year, around 50,400 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,752 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $12,050 per year. The physical sciences program at The University of Texas at Austin awarded 266 bachelor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 53% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 44% were women.
The 9th most popular school in the country for physical sciences majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Each year, around 52,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $14,446 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $14,635 per year. The physical sciences program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign awarded 252 bachelor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 34% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 39% were women.
University of Colorado Boulder comes in at #10 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in physical sciences. Roughly 37,400 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,806 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $12,168 per year. The physical sciences program at University of Colorado Boulder awarded 241 bachelor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 17% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 34% were women.
The 11th most popular school in the country for physical sciences majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is University of Florida. Each year, around 53,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $4,477 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $10,770 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 229 people received their bachelor's degree in physical sciences from UF. About 40% of this group were women, and 45% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the 12th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Each year, around 30,000 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $7,019 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $10,552 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 226 people received their bachelor's degree in physical sciences from UNC Chapel Hill. Around 33% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 46% were women.
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is the 13th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Each year, around 52,000 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $13,532 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $17,844 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 212 bachelor's degrees were handed out to physical sciences majors at UMN Twin Cities. About 33% of this group were women, and 15% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of Wisconsin - Madison is the 14th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Roughly 44,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,273 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $10,728 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 208 bachelor's degrees were handed out to physical sciences majors at UW - Madison. Of these students, 35% were women and 17% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of California - Los Angeles is the 15th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Roughly 44,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,442 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,442 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 201 people received their bachelor's degree in physical sciences from UCLA. About 37% of this group were women, and 45% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 16th most popular school in the country for physical sciences majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is Texas A&M University - College Station. Each year, around 70,400 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $8,578 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $6,885 per year. The physical sciences program at Texas A&M University - College Station awarded 190 bachelor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. About 41% of this group were women, and 40% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 17th most popular school in the country for physical sciences majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is Ohio State University - Main Campus. Roughly 61,300 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,018 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,560 per year. The physical sciences program at Ohio State University - Main Campus awarded 189 bachelor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 27% were women and 14% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of Arizona is the 18th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Each year, around 45,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,990 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $12,106 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 184 people received their bachelor's degree in physical sciences from University of Arizona. About 34% of this group were women, and 33% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of Maryland - College Park comes in at #19 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in physical sciences. Each year, around 40,700 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,000 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $15,360 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 183 people received their bachelor's degree in physical sciences from UMCP. Of these students, 36% were women and 23% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Stony Brook University comes in at #20 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in physical sciences. Roughly 26,700 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $7,070 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,310 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 182 bachelor's degrees were handed out to physical sciences majors at SUNY Stony Brook. Around 37% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 41% were women.
Physical Sciences Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 14,951 |
| Physics | 8,290 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 5,119 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 979 |
| Atmospheric Sciences | 755 |
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Related Majors
Below are some popular majors that are similar to physical sciences that offer bachelor’s degrees.
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 137,084 |
| Engineering | 128,368 |
| Computer & Information Sciences | 109,491 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 32,021 |
| Agriculture | 22,108 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Image Credit: By NASA under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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