2026 Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools
There are 1,557 colleges that offer a degree in Physical Sciences. Learn more about the most popular schools below:
Finding the Best Physical Sciences School for You
Today’s Physical Sciences students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You can choose a traditional brick-and-mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school halfway across the country without even leaving your house.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 1,557 schools in the United States offering Physical Sciences programs. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.
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2026 Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the most popular for Physical Sciences majors.
Top 25 Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools
The most popular school in the United States for Physical Sciences students is University of California-Berkeley. Located in Berkeley, CA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 581 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $57,445. Read More…
University of Washington-Seattle Campus comes in at #2 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physical Sciences majors. University of Washington-Seattle Campus is a public school located in Seattle, WA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 505 people earned their degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $53,990. Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Washington-Seattle Campus
University of California-San Diego comes in at #3 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physical Sciences majors. University of California-San Diego is a public school located in La Jolla, CA. This school awarded 499 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $44,612. Read More…
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus landed the #4 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus is a public school located in University Park, PA. This school awarded 467 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $54,468. Read More…
University of California-Los Angeles landed the #5 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. University of California-Los Angeles is a public school located in Los Angeles, CA. This school awarded 460 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $41,763. Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California-Los Angeles
University of Wisconsin-Madison landed the #6 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. Located in Madison, WI, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 443 people earned their degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $53,379. Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of California-Santa Barbara comes in at #7 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physical Sciences majors. Located in Santa Barbara, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 423 people earned their degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $38,259. Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California-Santa Barbara
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor comes in at #8 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physical Sciences majors. Located in Ann Arbor, MI, this is a public institution. This school awarded 392 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $64,597. Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
The University of Texas at Austin landed the #9 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a public school located in Austin, TX. This school awarded 389 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $51,060. Read More…
Texas A&M University-College Station comes in at #10 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physical Sciences majors. Located in College Station, TX, this is a public institution. This school awarded 383 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $54,018. Read More…
University of Arizona comes in at #11 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physical Sciences majors. University of Arizona is a public school located in Tucson, AZ. This school awarded 373 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $44,998. Read More…
University of Florida landed the #12 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. University of Florida is a public school located in Gainesville, FL. During the most recent year for which we have data, 369 people earned their degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,898. Read More…
University of Colorado Boulder comes in at #13 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physical Sciences majors. Located in Boulder, CO, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 361 people earned their degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $48,932. Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Colorado Boulder
University of California-Irvine comes in at #14 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physical Sciences majors. University of California-Irvine is a public school located in Irvine, CA. This school awarded 360 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $40,474. Full Physical Sciences at University of California-Irvine Report
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign landed the #15 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. Located in Champaign, IL, this is a public institution. This school awarded 354 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $53,513. Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Chicago landed the #16 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. University of Chicago is a private nonprofit school located in Chicago, IL. This school awarded 345 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $77,119. Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Chicago
Purdue University-Main Campus comes in at #17 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physical Sciences majors. Located in West Lafayette, IN, this is a public institution. This school awarded 338 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $61,124. Full Physical Sciences at Purdue University-Main Campus Report
Ohio State University-Main Campus comes in at #18 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physical Sciences majors. Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public school located in Columbus, OH. During the most recent year for which we have data, 331 people earned their degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $49,087. Full Physical Sciences at Ohio State University-Main Campus Report
Johns Hopkins University landed the #19 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. Johns Hopkins University is a private nonprofit school located in Baltimore, MD. This school awarded 325 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $89,069. Full Physical Sciences at Johns Hopkins University Report
University of California-Santa Cruz comes in at #20 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physical Sciences majors. Located in Santa Cruz, CA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 310 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $37,107. Full Physical Sciences at University of California-Santa Cruz Report
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities landed the #21 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is a public school located in Minneapolis, MN. This school awarded 289 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $47,373. Read More…
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #22 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. Located in New York, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 285 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $75,228. Read full report on Physical Sciences at Columbia University in the City of New York
University of Virginia-Main Campus landed the #23 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public school located in Charlottesville, VA. This school awarded 277 degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $64,471. Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Virginia-Main Campus
Stony Brook University landed the #24 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools ranking. Stony Brook University is a public school located in Stony Brook, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 275 people earned their degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $51,412. Read full report on Physical Sciences at Stony Brook University
University of Pennsylvania comes in at #25 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Physical Sciences majors. Located in Philadelphia, PA, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 274 people earned their degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $86,069. Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Pennsylvania
Rest of the Top Most Popular Physical Sciences Schools
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that also graduate students in this major every year.
Physical Sciences by Region
See the most popular Physical Sciences schools in a specific region of the United States.
| Region |
|---|
| New England |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Great Lakes |
| Plains States |
| Southeast |
| Southwest |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Far Western US |
More Physical Sciences 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 Physical Sciences Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Majors Related to Physical Sciences
Physical Sciences Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 19,434 |
| Physics | 12,910 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 7,622 |
| General Physical Sciences | 2,661 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 1,580 |
| Atmospheric Sciences | 1,341 |
| Materials Sciences | 650 |
| Other Physical Science | 422 |
| Physics and Astronomy | 39 |
References
*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.