Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near

2023 Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools

1,528 Colleges
$39,880 Avg Salary
$22,620 Avg Student Debt

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.

The Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 1,528 schools in the United States to see which ones were the most popular programs for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Physical Sciences program at each school on the list.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for physical sciences majors pursuing a .

Our analysis found University of Washington - Seattle Campus to be the most popular school for physical sciences students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. UW Seattle is a very large public school located in the city of Seattle.

While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at UW Seattle accumulate an average of around $17,267 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $456, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Physical Sciences at University of Washington - Seattle Campus Report

Out of the 1,528 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the # 2 spot on the list. UCSD is a very large public school located in the large city of La Jolla.

Physical Sciences majors at UCSD take out an average of $17,438 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $167.

Full Physical Sciences at University of California - San Diego Report

Out of the 1,528 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a very large student population.

Physical Sciences majors at UC Berkeley take out an average of $14,276 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools list. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, physical sciences graduates from UW - Madison carry an average student debt load of $22,860.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison

The excellent programs at University of California - Santa Barbara helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best physical sciences schools in the United States. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that physical sciences majors at UCSB take out is $20,685. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $343.

Full Physical Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara Report

Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. Texas A&M College Station is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of College Station.

The average amount in student loans that physical sciences majors at Texas A&M College Station take out is $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.

Full Physical Sciences at Texas A&M University - College Station Report

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular physical sciences programs. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at UIUC accumulate an average of around $21,500 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $566, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

University of Colorado Boulder landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular physical sciences programs. CU - Boulder is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Boulder.

After completing their degree, physical sciences graduates from CU - Boulder carry an average student debt load of $22,562.

Full Physical Sciences at University of Colorado Boulder Report

#9

University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ

University of Arizona came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. University of Arizona is a very large public school located in the large city of Tucson.

After completing their degree, physical sciences graduates from University of Arizona carry an average student debt load of $25,218.

Read More…

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Physical Sciences majors at UCLA take out an average of $17,101 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles

University of California - Irvine did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for physical sciences students. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at UC Irvine accumulate an average of around $18,271 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 $201.

Read More…

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools list. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, physical sciences graduates from UT Austin take out $20,833 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $202.

Read More…

With a ranking of #13, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for physical sciences students. Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public school with a fairly large student population.

On average, physical sciences graduates from U-M take out $19,876 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. 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.

Read More…

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular physical sciences programs. UC Santa Cruz is a large public school located in the city of Santa Cruz.

After completing their degree, physical sciences graduates from UC Santa Cruz carry an average student debt load of $20,222.

Read More…

#16

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

University of Chicago ranked #16 on this year’s Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools list. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

After completing their degree, physical sciences graduates from UChicago carry an average student debt load of $19,972.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Chicago

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for physical sciences students. It came in at #17 on the list. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public college with a very large student population.

Physical Sciences majors at UNC Chapel Hill take out an average of $15,188 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular physical sciences programs. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

On average, physical sciences graduates from Ohio State take out $25,750 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

With a ranking of #19, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for physical sciences students. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at Columbia accumulate an average of around $10,000 in student debt.

Full Physical Sciences at Columbia University in the City of New York Report

#20

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

With a ranking of #20, University of Florida did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for physical sciences students. Located in the city of Gainesville, UF is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at UF accumulate an average of around $15,251 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 $134.

Read More…

#21

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN

With a ranking of #21, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for physical sciences students. Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public school with a very large student population.

While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at Purdue accumulate an average of around $20,262 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

University of California - Davis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for physical sciences students. It came in at #22 on the list. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public school with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that physical sciences majors at UC Davis take out is $17,207. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $272, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. UMCP is a very large public school located in the suburb of College Park.

While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at UMCP accumulate an average of around $19,049 in student debt.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Maryland - College Park

#24

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, NY

Stony Brook University landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular physical sciences programs. Located in the suburb of Stony Brook, SUNY Stony Brook is a public college with a very large student population.

Physical Sciences majors at SUNY Stony Brook take out an average of $23,831 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

#25

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

Cornell University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for physical sciences students. It came in at #25 on the list. Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

Physical Sciences majors at Cornell take out an average of $16,593 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Physical Sciences at Cornell University Report

#26

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD
#27

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, MS
#27

Stanford University

Stanford, CA
#27

LaGuardia Community College

Long Island City, NY
#30

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA
#31

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, UT
#33

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI
#35

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA
#36

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA
#37

Medgar Evers College

Brooklyn, NY
#40

Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA
#41

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ
#41

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL
#43

New York University

New York, NY
#43

University of Houston

Houston, TX
#48

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA
#49

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA
#50

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY

Remaining Award Winners

This list shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 1528 different United States physical sciences schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
52 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
53 Washington State University Pullman, WA
54 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
55 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
55 SUNY Empire State College Saratoga Springs, NY
57 Yale University New Haven, CT
58 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
59 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
60 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
61 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
62 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
63 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
64 Richard Bland College of William and Mary South Prince George, VA
65 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
65 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
67 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
68 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
68 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
68 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
71 Hunter College New York, NY
72 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
72 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
74 American River College Sacramento, CA
74 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
76 Glendale Community College Glendale, AZ
76 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
76 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
79 Irvine Valley College Irvine, CA
80 California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA
81 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
82 El Camino College Torrance, CA
83 Emory University Atlanta, GA
84 University of Delaware Newark, DE
84 Chandler-Gilbert Community College Chandler, AZ
86 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
87 Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY
87 Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
87 Duke University Durham, NC
87 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
87 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA
92 Brown University Providence, RI
93 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
93 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
93 Iowa State University Ames, IA
96 Wayne State University Detroit, MI
96 Rice University Houston, TX
98 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
99 Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Atlanta, GA
100 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
101 Montana State University Bozeman, MT
101 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
103 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
104 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
104 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
104 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
104 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
108 Missouri State University - Springfield Springfield, MO
109 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
110 The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX
110 Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO
112 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
112 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
112 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
115 Boston University Boston, MA
116 University of Georgia Athens, GA
117 University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH
118 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
119 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
120 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
120 Mesa Community College Mesa, AZ
122 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
122 Western Nevada College Carson City, NV
122 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
125 Towson University Towson, MD
126 Moorpark College Moorpark, CA
126 Orange Coast College Costa Mesa, CA
126 United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD
129 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
130 Estrella Mountain Community College Avondale, AZ
131 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
131 Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA
133 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY
133 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN
133 University of New Mexico - Main Campus Albuquerque, NM
136 University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL
137 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
137 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
137 Green River College Auburn, WA
140 The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX
141 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
141 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
143 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
144 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
144 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
146 University of California - Merced Merced, CA
146 Villanova University Villanova, PA
146 New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY
149 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
149 Clemson University Clemson, SC
151 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
151 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
153 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
153 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
155 University at Albany Albany, NY
155 University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR
157 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
157 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
157 University of North Texas Denton, TX
160 Saddleback College Mission Viejo, CA
161 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
161 Northeastern University Boston, MA
163 College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY
163 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
165 Tulsa Community College Tulsa, OK
165 Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO
167 Portland State University Portland, OR
167 Baylor University Waco, TX
169 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
169 Seattle Central College Seattle, WA
169 Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL
172 Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH
172 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
172 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
172 Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara, CA
176 Auburn University Auburn, AL
176 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
176 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
176 Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
180 The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX
180 Golden West College Huntington Beach, CA
180 Queensborough Community College Bayside, NY
183 Wesleyan University Middletown, CT
184 Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA
184 Boise State University Boise, ID
184 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
187 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
188 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL
189 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
189 University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA
191 Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY
191 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
191 Illinois State University Normal, IL
191 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
191 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
191 University of Mississippi University, MS
191 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
191 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
199 University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS
199 University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO
199 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
199 Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA
199 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
199 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
205 Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH
205 Fullerton College Fullerton, CA
205 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
205 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ
209 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN
209 Utah State University Logan, UT
209 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
209 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
213 Wright State University - Main Campus Dayton, OH
213 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
215 Tufts University Medford, MA
215 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
215 Santiago Canyon College Orange, CA
215 Williams College Williamstown, MA
215 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH
220 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
220 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
220 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
220 North Seattle College Seattle, WA
220 University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras San Juan, PR
220 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
226 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI
226 Carleton College Northfield, MN
226 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
226 Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools award.

Rank College Location
230 Long Beach City College Long Beach, CA
231 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
231 Haverford College Haverford, PA
233 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
233 Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill, CA
233 Bellevue College Bellevue, WA
236 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
236 George Washington University Washington, DC
236 Ball State University Muncie, IN
236 Georgetown University Washington, DC
240 SUNY Geneseo Geneseo, NY
240 Humboldt State University Arcata, CA
240 University of Idaho Moscow, ID
240 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA
244 The City College of New York New York, NY
244 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
244 SUNY Oswego Oswego, NY
247 University of New Orleans New Orleans, LA
247 Paradise Valley Community College Phoenix, AZ
247 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
250 Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT
250 University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA
250 Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL
250 New Mexico State University - Main Campus Las Cruces, NM
250 University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA
250 Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga, CA
256 Queens College Queens, NY
256 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
258 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
258 Lehman College Bronx, NY
258 Western Illinois University Macomb, IL
258 College of Charleston Charleston, SC
258 College of the Canyons Santa Clarita, CA
263 SUNY New Paltz New Paltz, NY
263 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
263 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
263 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
263 University of Maine Orono, ME
263 Antelope Valley College Lancaster, CA
263 University of Toledo Toledo, OH
263 The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN
271 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
271 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
273 Whitman College Walla Walla, WA
273 Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI
275 Smith College Northampton, MA
275 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
275 Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ
275 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
275 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
280 University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR
280 University of Puerto Rico - Humacao Humacao, PR
280 Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN
280 Monterey Peninsula College Monterey, CA
280 Bates College Lewiston, ME
285 Phoenix College Phoenix, AZ
286 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
286 Colby College Waterville, ME
286 South Seattle College Seattle, WA
286 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
286 Scottsdale Community College Scottsdale, AZ
291 Shoreline Community College Shoreline, WA
291 Texas A&M University - Commerce Commerce, TX
291 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN
291 Pierce College-Fort Steilacoom Lakewood, WA
291 Edmonds Community College Lynnwood, WA
291 Lewis University Romeoville, IL
291 New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro, NM
298 Creighton University Omaha, NE
298 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
298 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL
301 Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA
301 The University of Montana Missoula, MT
301 University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
301 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
301 Evergreen Valley College San Jose, CA
301 Cabrillo College Aptos, CA
301 Austin Community College District Austin, TX

Physical Sciences by Region

View the Most Popular 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

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

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.

  • 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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.