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2024 Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region

43 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
1,760 Physics Degrees Awarded
$48,251 Avg Early-Career Salary
Physics is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #68 most popular degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 43 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,760 degrees in physics during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Physics School

Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region The physics program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Physics rankings. We derive our Best Overall Physics School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Physics Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Physics
Master's Degrees in Physics
Doctor's Degrees in Physics

The physics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Physics in the Great Lakes Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the physics degree levels they offer.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Physics

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
102 Physics Degrees Awarded
$52,578 Median Starting Salary

University of Chicago is a good choice for students interested in a degree in physics. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 102 physics students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. Those physics students who get their degree from University of Chicago receive $4,327 more than the standard physics grad.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Chicago

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IL
47 Physics Degrees Awarded

Northwestern University is a great option for students interested in a degree in physics. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 47 physics students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physics from Northwestern University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
118 Physics Degrees Awarded
8.5% Growth in Graduates

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in physics. Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were approximately 118 physics students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the physics program earn around $42,728 for their early career.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
144 Physics Degrees Awarded
18.1% Growth in Graduates

University of Wisconsin - Madison is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in physics. UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were approximately 144 physics students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physics program report average early career income of $45,916.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Wisconsin - Madison

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
106 Physics Degrees Awarded
$47,882 Median Starting Salary

UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 106 physics students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, physics degree recipients usually make about $47,882 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IN
59 Physics Degrees Awarded

Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were approximately 59 physics students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Notre Dame

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
114 Physics Degrees Awarded
$62,196 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 114 physics students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available. Those physics students who get their degree from Ohio State University - Main Campus earn $13,945 more than the average physics grad.

More information about a degree in physics from Ohio State University - Main Campus

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IN
78 Physics Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were roughly 78 physics students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physics from Purdue University - Main Campus

9
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
78 Physics Degrees Awarded
$34,929 Median Starting Salary

Michigan State is a very large public university located in the city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 78 physics students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, physics degree recipients typically make an average of $34,929 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in physics from Michigan State University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In IL

Illinois Tech is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago. This school ranks 9th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 15 physics students who graduated with this degree at Illinois Tech in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physics from Illinois Institute of Technology

Best Physics Colleges by State

Explore the best physics colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 344
Ohio 314 393
Illinois 304 483
Indiana 294 255
Wisconsin 273 264

View All Rankings >

One of 8 majors within the Physical Sciences area of study, Physics has other similar majors worth exploring.

Physics Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Physics 1,713
Other Physics 26
Acoustics 7
Theoretical & Mathematical Physics 6
Condensed Matter & Materials Physics 4
Optics/Optical Sciences 3
Atomic/Molecular Physics 1

View All Physics Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 3,288
Geological & Earth Sciences 818
Astronomy & Astrophysics 249
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 174
General Physical Sciences 80
Materials Sciences 37
Other Physical Science 15

View All Physics Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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