2023 Best Physical Sciences Schools
Finding the Best Physical Sciences School for You
Physical Sciences is the #19 most popular major in the country with 50,306 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Physical Sciences Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 230 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Physical Sciences Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Physical Sciences Colleges.
Top 25 Top Schools in Physical Sciences
Our 2023 rankings named Stanford University the best school in the United States for physical sciences students. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Stanford.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Physical Sciences Schools list. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that physical sciences majors at Northwestern take out is $17,417.
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Out of the 230 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois Institute of Technology landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Chicago, Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Rochester Institute of Technology is a great place for physical sciences students. Located in the large suburb of Rochester, RIT is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
On average, physical sciences graduates from RIT take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Out of the 230 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the # 5 spot on the list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
On average, physical sciences graduates from UChicago take out $19,972 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Northeastern University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for physical sciences students. It came in at #6 on the list. Northeastern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Boston.
After completing their degree, physical sciences graduates from Northeastern carry an average student debtload of $23,685.
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The University of Texas at Austin came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Physical Sciences Schools ranking. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public school with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that physical sciences majors at UT Austin take out is $20,833. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $202.
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With a ranking of #8, Wake Forest University did quite well on this year’s best schools for physical sciences students. Located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
After completing their degree, physical sciences graduates from Wake Forest University carry an average student debtload of $21,500.
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Williams College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for physical sciences students. It came in at #9 on the list. Williams is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe town of Williamstown.
While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at Williams accumulate an average of around $12,999 in student debt.
Full Physical Sciences at Williams College Report
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University of California - Berkeley landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best physical sciences programs. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, physical sciences graduates from UC Berkeley carry an average student debtload of $14,276.
Full Physical Sciences at University of California - Berkeley Report
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University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best physical sciences programs. Located in the distant town of River Falls, UW - River Falls is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that physical sciences majors at UW - River Falls take out is $27,000.
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University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #12 on this year’s Best Physical Sciences Schools list. Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Physical Sciences majors at UCSB take out an average of $20,685 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $343.
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Cornell University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Physical Sciences Schools ranking. Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Physical Sciences majors at Cornell take out an average of $16,593 in student loans while working on their egree.
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University of Delaware came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Physical Sciences Schools ranking. Located in the large suburb of Newark, UD is a public school with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at UD accumulate an average of around $25,343 in student debt.
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best physical sciences programs. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, physical sciences graduates from UIUC carry an average student debtload of $21,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $566, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Maryland - College Park ranked #16 on this year’s Best Physical Sciences Schools list. UMCP is a very large public school located in the suburb of College Park.
On average, physical sciences graduates from UMCP take out $19,049 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Iowa State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for physical sciences students. It came in at #17 on the list. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public school with a very large student population.
Physical Sciences majors at Iowa State take out an average of $22,934 in student loans while working on their egree.
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With a ranking of #18, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on this year’s best schools for physical sciences students. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Minneapolis.
While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at UMN Twin Cities accumulate an average of around $25,012 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $344.
Full Physical Sciences at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Report
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Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #19 on this year’s Best Physical Sciences Schools list. Texas A&M College Station is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of College Station.
After completing their degree, physical sciences graduates from Texas A&M College Station carry an average student debtload of $19,987. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $270.
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Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for physical sciences students. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in the small city of Daytona Beach, Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that physical sciences majors at Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach take out is $22,807.
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With a ranking of #21, University of Wyoming did quite well on this year’s best schools for physical sciences students. UW is a large public school located in the town of Laramie.
While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at UW accumulate an average of around $24,000 in student debt.
Full Physical Sciences at University of Wyoming Report
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With a ranking of #22, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on this year’s best schools for physical sciences students. Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore.
On average, physical sciences graduates from Johns Hopkins take out $14,535 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #23, Texas A&M University - Kingsville did quite well on this year’s best schools for physical sciences students. Texas A&M Kingsville is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Kingsville.
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Union College New York did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for physical sciences students. It came in at #24 on the list. Located in the small city of Schenectady, Union College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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With a ranking of #25, Lock Haven University did quite well on this year’s best schools for physical sciences students. LHU is a small public school located in the distant town of Lock Haven.
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Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Physical Sciences Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | Oklahoma State University - Main Campus | Stillwater, OK |
| 36 | University of Houston | Houston, TX |
| 37 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 38 | University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA |
| 39 | Hope College | Holland, MI |
| 40 | Eastern Washington University | Cheney, WA |
| 41 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | Baton Rouge, LA |
| 42 | Smith College | Northampton, MA |
| 43 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire | Eau Claire, WI |
| 44 | University of California - San Diego | La Jolla, CA |
| 45 | University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN |
| 46 | University of Nevada - Reno | Reno, NV |
Physical Sciences by Region
View the Best Physical Sciences Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Physical Sciences Rankings
Physical Sciences Related Rankings by Major
Physical Sciences Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 21,239 |
| Physics | 13,674 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 7,821 |
| General Physical Sciences | 3,823 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 1,375 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 1,140 |
| Materials Sciences | 658 |
| Other Physical Science | 538 |
| Physics and Astronomy | 38 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Computer & Information Sciences | 254,454 |
| Engineering | 198,468 |
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 177,778 |
| Engineering Technologies | 85,188 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 52,396 |
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 NASA.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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