2026 Most Popular Physics Schools
There are 959 colleges that offer a degree in Physics. Ranked by yearly graduations, here are the most popular below:
Finding the Best Physics School for You
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for Physics students. With more and more schools offering online options, you’re no longer limited to schools in your local area.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Physics Schools ranking. This report analyzed 959 schools in the United States to see which Physics programs were the most popular. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.
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2026 Most Popular Physics Schools in the United States
Check out the Physics programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in the United States.
Top 25 Most Popular Physics Schools
Our 2026 rankings named University of California-Santa Barbara the most popular school in the U.S. for Physics majors. University of California-Santa Barbara is a public school located in Santa Barbara, CA. This school awarded 213 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $38,259. Read More…
University of California-Berkeley comes in at #2 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physics majors. Located in Berkeley, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 174 people earned their degree in Physics from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $57,445. Read More…
University of Arizona comes in at #3 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physics majors. Located in Tucson, AZ, this is a public institution. This school awarded 166 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $44,998. Full Physics at University of Arizona Report
University of Washington-Seattle Campus comes in at #4 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physics majors. Located in Seattle, WA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 166 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $53,990. Read More…
New York University landed the #5 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physics Schools ranking. Located in New York, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 157 people earned their degree in Physics from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $59,956. Read full report on Physics at New York University
University of Colorado Boulder comes in at #6 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physics majors. University of Colorado Boulder is a public school located in Boulder, CO. This school awarded 152 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $48,932. Full Physics at University of Colorado Boulder Report
University of California-Los Angeles comes in at #7 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physics majors. University of California-Los Angeles is a public school located in Los Angeles, CA. This school awarded 150 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $41,763. Read More…
The University of Texas at Austin landed the #8 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physics Schools ranking. Located in Austin, TX, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 133 people earned their degree in Physics from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $51,060. Read More…
University of Wisconsin-Madison landed the #9 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physics Schools ranking. University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public school located in Madison, WI. This school awarded 128 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $53,379. Read full report on Physics at University of Wisconsin-Madison
Johns Hopkins University landed the #10 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physics Schools ranking. Johns Hopkins University is a private nonprofit school located in Baltimore, MD. This school awarded 121 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $89,069. Read More…
Ohio State University-Main Campus comes in at #11 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physics majors. Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public school located in Columbus, OH. This school awarded 120 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $49,087. Read full report on Physics at Ohio State University-Main Campus
University of Chicago comes in at #12 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physics majors. Located in Chicago, IL, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 120 people earned their degree in Physics from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $77,119. Read More…
University of California-San Diego landed the #13 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physics Schools ranking. University of California-San Diego is a public school located in La Jolla, CA. This school awarded 117 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $44,612. Read More…
Harvard University landed the #14 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physics Schools ranking. Located in Cambridge, MA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 113 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $92,518. Full Physics at Harvard University Report
University of Rochester landed the #15 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physics Schools ranking. University of Rochester is a private nonprofit school located in Rochester, NY. This school awarded 113 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $64,722. Read full report on Physics at University of Rochester
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor comes in at #16 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physics majors. Located in Ann Arbor, MI, this is a public institution. This school awarded 111 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $64,597. Full Physics at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Report
University of Maryland-College Park comes in at #17 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physics majors. Located in College Park, MD, this is a public institution. This school awarded 110 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $56,509. Full Physics at University of Maryland-College Park Report
University of Pennsylvania landed the #18 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physics Schools ranking. University of Pennsylvania is a private nonprofit school located in Philadelphia, PA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 109 people earned their degree in Physics from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $86,069. Read More…
Massachusetts Institute of Technology comes in at #19 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physics majors. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private nonprofit school located in Cambridge, MA. This school awarded 102 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $109,923. Read full report on Physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of California-Irvine landed the #20 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physics Schools ranking. Located in Irvine, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 98 people earned their degree in Physics from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $40,474. Read full report on Physics at University of California-Irvine
Yale University comes in at #21 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physics majors. Yale University is a private nonprofit school located in New Haven, CT. This school awarded 96 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $64,379. Read More…
Michigan State University comes in at #22 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physics majors. Michigan State University is a public school located in East Lansing, MI. During the most recent year for which we have data, 95 people earned their degree in Physics from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $50,898. Read full report on Physics at Michigan State University
Brown University comes in at #23 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physics majors. Brown University is a private nonprofit school located in Providence, RI. This school awarded 94 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $59,042. Read More…
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus landed the #24 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physics Schools ranking. Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus is a public school located in University Park, PA. This school awarded 94 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $54,468. Read full report on Physics at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
Purdue University-Main Campus landed the #25 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physics Schools ranking. Located in West Lafayette, IN, this is a public institution. This school awarded 93 degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $61,124. Full Physics at Purdue University-Main Campus Report
Rest of the Top Most Popular Physics Schools
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for this major that just missed the list above.
Physics by Region
View the Most Popular Physics Schools ranking for a specific region near you.
| Region |
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| New England |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Great Lakes |
| Plains States |
| Southeast |
| Southwest |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Far Western US |
More Physics Rankings
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this Most Popular Physics Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Majors Related to Physics
Physics Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Physics | 11,944 |
| Other Physics | 482 |
| Optics/Optical Sciences | 249 |
| Acoustics | 175 |
| Theoretical & Mathematical Physics | 37 |
| Condensed Matter & Materials Physics | 8 |
| Atomic/Molecular Physics | 6 |
| Elementary Particle Physics | 6 |
| Nuclear Physics | 3 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 19,434 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 7,622 |
| General Physical Sciences | 2,661 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 1,580 |
| Atmospheric Sciences | 1,341 |
References
*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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