Master’s Degrees in Physics
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Education Levels of Physics Majors
In 2020-2021, 1,949 earned their master's degree in physics. This makes it the 70th most popular master's degree program in the country.
The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in physics at each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 8,290 |
| Master’s Degree | 1,949 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 1,752 |
| Associate Degree | 1,630 |
| Basic Certificate | 27 |
| Graduate Certificate | 26 |
Earnings of Physics Majors With Master’s Degrees
The median salary for graduates holding a master's degree in physics is $83,811. However, this can depend on a number of factors, such as where you live and the number of years experience you have. A better approximation of salary is to look at the typical range of salaries. In this case the low is $74,181 and the high is $99,060.
Student Debt
The data on debt ranges for physics majors who have their master's degree is not available.
Student Diversity
More men than women pursue master's degrees in physics. About 76.7% of graduates in this field are male.
| Gender | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Men | 1,495 |
| Women | 454 |
The racial-ethnic distribution of physics master’s degree students is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 96 |
| Black or African American | 35 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 148 |
| White | 853 |
| International Students | 722 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 95 |
Most Popular Physics Programs for Master’s Degrees
There are 248 colleges that offer a master’s degree in physics. Learn more about the most popular 20 below:
The most popular school in the United States for physics students seekinga master's degree is New York University. Roughly 52,700 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $53,770 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $35,982 per year. The physics program at New York University awarded 55 master's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 18% were women and 15% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of Arizona comes in at #2 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in physics. Roughly 45,600 attend the school each year. 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, 54 people received their master's degree in physics from University of Arizona. About 30% of this group were women, and 22% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of Rochester is the 3rd most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in physics. Roughly 11,700 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $58,276 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $46,779 per year. The physics program at University of Rochester awarded 52 master's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 27% were women and 21% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of Wisconsin - Madison comes in at #4 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in physics. Each year, around 44,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. 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. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 42 people received their master's degree in physics from UW - Madison. Of these students, 24% were women and 10% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of Washington - Seattle Campus comes in at #5 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in physics. Each year, around 48,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. 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. The physics program at University of Washington - Seattle Campus awarded 38 master's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. About 29% of this group were women, and 24% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of Oregon comes in at #6 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in physics. Roughly 21,700 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,458 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $15,714 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 37 master's degrees were handed out to physics majors at UO. Around 16% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 24% were women.
University of California - Santa Barbara is the 6th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in physics. Roughly 26,100 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 physics program at University of California - Santa Barbara awarded 37 master's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. About 19% of this group were women, and 14% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 8th most popular school in the country for physics majors who are seeking their master's degree is University of Colorado Boulder. Each year, around 37,400 students seeking various degrees attend the university. 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. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 33 people received their master's degree in physics from CU - Boulder. Around 27% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 9% were women.
Yale University comes in at #9 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in physics. Roughly 12,000 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $59,950 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $45,700 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 32 people received their master's degree in physics from Yale. Of these students, 28% were women and 6% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The 9th most popular school in the country for physics majors who are seeking their master's degree is University of Pennsylvania. Each year, around 26,500 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $54,652 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $38,732 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 32 people received their master's degree in physics from UPenn. Of these students, 25% were women and 16% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Brown University comes in at #11 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in physics. Roughly 9,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $60,944 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $60,944 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 30 master's degrees were handed out to physics majors at Brown. About 17% of this group were women, and 7% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 12th most popular school in the country for physics majors who are seeking their master's degree is University of California - Berkeley. Each year, around 42,300 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. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 29 master's degrees were handed out to physics majors at UC Berkeley. Of these students, 24% were women and 28% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor comes in at #13 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in physics. Roughly 47,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $16,865 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $24,902 per year. The physics program at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor awarded 27 master's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 11% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 37% were women.
Harvard University comes in at #13 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in physics. Each year, around 30,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $51,143 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $50,928 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 27 master's degrees were handed out to physics majors at Harvard. Of these students, 30% were women and 11% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The 15th most popular school in the country for physics majors who are seeking their master's degree is Johns Hopkins University. Roughly 28,800 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $58,720 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $58,720 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 26 people received their master's degree in physics from Johns Hopkins. Around 27% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 27% were women.
The 15th most popular school in the country for physics majors who are seeking their master's degree is Stony Brook University. Each year, around 26,700 students seeking various degrees attend the university. 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. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 26 people received their master's degree in physics from SUNY Stony Brook. Around 8% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 23% were women.
Carnegie Mellon University comes in at #17 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in physics. Roughly 13,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $57,560 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $46,441 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 25 people received their master's degree in physics from Carnegie Mellon. Around 12% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 36% were women.
Northwestern University comes in at #18 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in physics. Each year, around 22,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $60,276 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $56,067 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 23 people received their master's degree in physics from Northwestern. Of these students, 35% were women and 9% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Cornell University comes in at #18 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in physics. Each year, around 23,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $60,286 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $29,500 per year. The physics program at Cornell University awarded 23 master's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 9% were women and 4% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Duke University is the 20th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in physics. Each year, around 16,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $58,085 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $57,900 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 21 master's degrees were handed out to physics majors at Duke. About 33% of this group were women, and 19% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
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Related Majors
Below are some popular majors that are similar to physics that offer master’s degrees.
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 2,246 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 1,663 |
| Materials Sciences | 270 |
| Atmospheric Sciences | 213 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 187 |
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 A. T. Service under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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