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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia

25 Ranked Colleges
353 Degrees Awarded
$31,200 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia” ranking.

Physics is the 68th most popular major in the country with 13,674 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, physics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $42,960 and had an average of $22,756 in loans still to pay off.

Across Virginia, there were 353 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,253 and $23,971 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physics. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their physics program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Physics in Virginia

1
Hampden - Sydney crest
Hampden - Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hampden - Sydney College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia. This small school is located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, and it awarded 8 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Hampden - Sydney

2
Emory & Henry College crest
Emory and Henry College
Emory, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Emory and Henry College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia list. Located in Emory, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Physics at Emory & Henry College

3
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Randolph College
Lynchburg, Virginia

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Randolph College landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 4 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Physics at Randolph College

4
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Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Military Institute. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia list. Located in Lexington, Virginia, this small public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at VMI

5
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Roanoke College
Salem, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Roanoke College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia list. Roanoke is located in Salem, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Roanoke College Physics Report

6
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Bridgewater College
Bridgewater, Virginia

Bridgewater College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia ranking. Bridgewater, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Bridgewater College

7
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William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia ranking, coming in at #7. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 38 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at William & Mary

8
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Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia

Washington and Lee University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia ranking. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lexington, Virginia. It awarded 7 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Washington and Lee University Physics Report

9
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Christopher Newport University
Newport News, Virginia

With a ranking of #9, Christopher Newport University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia list. Located in Newport News, Virginia, this small public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at CNU

10
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Virginia Union University
Richmond, Virginia

Virginia Union University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia ranking. This small school is located in Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 2 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Full VUU Physics Report

11
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University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

With a ranking of #11, University of Richmond did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia list. URichmond is a small school located in University of Richmond, Virginia that handed out 9 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Richmond

12
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 59 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Virginia Physics Report

13
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Longwood University
Farmville, Virginia

Longwood University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Farmville, Virginia, and it awarded 6 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Longwood University Physics Report

14
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia list. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 62 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Tech Physics Report

15
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Randolph - Macon College
Ashland, Virginia

Randolph - Macon College ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia list. Randolph - Macon is a small school located in Ashland, Virginia that handed out 2 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at Randolph - Macon

16
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Hampton University
Hampton, Virginia

With a ranking of #16, Hampton University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia list. Hampton, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Full Hampton Physics Report

17
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Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

Old Dominion University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia ranking. Old Dominion University is a public institution located in Norfolk, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physics at Old Dominion

18
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University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, Virginia

University of Mary Washington came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia ranking. University of Mary Washington is a small public school situated in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It awarded 5 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UMW Physics Report

19
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James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia list. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 17 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at James Madison University

20
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia ranking. GMU is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 31 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at George Mason University

21

Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia list. This large school is located in Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 23 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Virginia Commonwealth University

22
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, Virginia

Radford University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia ranking, coming in at #22. Radford is a medium-sized public school situated in Radford, Virginia. It awarded 6 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physics at Radford

23
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University of Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Virginia

University of Lynchburg ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia list. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Physics at University of Lynchburg

24
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Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar, Virginia

Sweet Briar College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia ranking, coming in at #24. Sweet Briar is a small school located in Sweet Briar, Virginia that handed out 0 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Physics at Sweet Briar

24
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Norfolk State University
Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Virginia ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and it awarded 0 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Norfolk State University Physics Report

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