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2024 Best Physics Schools in Virginia

9 Colleges in Virginia
353 Physics Degrees Awarded
$44,253 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in physics, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #68 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 9 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physics Schools in Virginia ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 353 degrees in physics to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Physics School

Best Physics Schools in Virginia 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. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for physics schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

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

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 Best Physics Schools in Virginia list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Physics in Virginia

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the physics degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Physics

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In VA
59 Physics Degrees Awarded

It is difficult to beat University of Virginia - Main Campus if you want to pursue a degree in physics. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were about 59 physics students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available.

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

2
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In VA
62 Physics Degrees Awarded

Any student who is interested in physics needs to look into Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the small city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 62 physics students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physics from Virginia Tech

3
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In VA
38 Physics Degrees Awarded

William & Mary is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in physics. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were roughly 38 physics students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physics from William & Mary

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$45,482 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Virginia Commonwealth University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in physics. VCU is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Richmond. This university ranks 7th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 23 physics students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physics program state that they receive average early career income of $45,482.

More information about a degree in physics from Virginia Commonwealth University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In VA
31 Physics Degrees Awarded

Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were about 31 physics students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physics from George Mason University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In VA

Located in the midsize city of Newport News, CNU is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 17th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 10 physics students who graduated with this degree at CNU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in physics from Christopher Newport University

7
UMW crest
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
18th Most Popular In VA

Located in the suburb of Fredericksburg, UMW is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 21st out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 5 physics students who graduated with this degree at UMW in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in physics from University of Mary Washington

8
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In VA
23.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 17 physics students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in physics from James Madison University

9
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
15th Most Popular In VA

Located in the small suburb of Radford, Radford is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 6 physics students who graduated with this degree at Radford in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in physics from Radford University

9
Bridgewater crest
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$43,024 Median Starting Salary

Bridgewater is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small suburb of Bridgewater. This college ranks 29th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 6 physics students who graduated with this degree at Bridgewater in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, physics degree recipients usually make about $43,024 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in physics from Bridgewater College

Best Physics Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Physics Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 244
Florida 282 358
North Carolina 279 356
Tennessee 269 156
South Carolina 248 107
Kentucky 244 77
Louisiana 242 93
Mississippi 234 45
Arkansas 234 80
Alabama 233 117
West Virginia 207 44

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 337
Other Physics 16

View All Physics Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 691
General Physical Sciences 157
Geological & Earth Sciences 144
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 54
Other Physical Science 47
Astronomy & Astrophysics 27
Materials Sciences 5

View All Physics Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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