2023 Best Physics Master's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Physics Master's Degree School for You
In 2020-2021, 13,674 people earned a degree or certificate in physics, making the major the #69 most popular in the United States.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
The Best Physics Master's Degree Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 141 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best master's degree programs for students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Physics Master's Degree Colleges.
Top 15% Best Physics Master's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Stanford University to be the best school for physics students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the United States. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Full Physics at Stanford University Report
Request Information
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Northwestern University is a great place for physics students working on their master’s degree. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Evanston.
Request Information
The excellent master’s degree programs at Illinois Institute of Technology helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best physics schools in the United States. Illinois Tech is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.
Full Physics at Illinois Institute of Technology Report
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Full Physics at University of Arizona Report
Request Information
Out of the 141 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Physics at University of Chicago
Request Information
Northeastern University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
Read full report on Physics at Northeastern University
Request Information
Rochester Institute of Technology did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for physics students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. RIT is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Rochester.
Request Information
With a ranking of #8, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on this year’s best schools for physics students working on their master’s degree. UCSB is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara.
Request Information
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #9 on this year’s Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools list. UW - Madison is a very large public school located in the large city of Madison.
Read full report on Physics at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Request Information
Wake Forest University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem.
Full Physics at Wake Forest University Report
Request Information
Christopher Newport University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for physics students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Newport News, CNU is a public college with a small student population.
Request Information
Cornell University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools list. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca.
Request Information
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for physics students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public school with a very large student population.
Read full report on Physics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Request Information
University of Delaware ranked #14 on this year’s Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools list. UD is a very large public school located in the suburb of Newark.
Full Physics at University of Delaware Report
Request Information
University of Houston came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of Houston, UH is a public school with a very large student population.
Read full report on Physics at University of Houston
Request Information
University of Wyoming did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for physics students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the town of Laramie, UW is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Physics at University of Wyoming
Request Information
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools ranking. UIUC is a very large public school located in the small city of Champaign.
Read full report on Physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Request Information
Johns Hopkins University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree physics programs. Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
Request Information
With a ranking of #19, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on this year’s best schools for physics students working on their master’s degree. UT Austin is a fairly large public school located in the city of Austin.
Request Information
Iowa State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for physics students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #20 on the list. Iowa State is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Ames.
Full Physics at Iowa State University Report
Request Information
Drexel University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree physics programs. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Drexel is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
Request InformationHonorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Physics Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor, MI |
| 23 | Baylor University | Waco, TX |
| 24 | University of Maryland - College Park | College Park, MD |
| 25 | University of California - Berkeley | Berkeley, CA |
| 26 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 27 | University of Rochester | Rochester, NY |
| 28 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC |
Physics by Region
View the Best Physics Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Physics Rankings
Physics Related Rankings by Major
Physics is one of 8 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Physics
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 21,239 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 7,821 |
| General Physical Sciences | 3,823 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 1,375 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 1,140 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to A. T. Service.
_main_lecture_hall_1972.jpg){kind=link}
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.