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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Physical Sciences

1,524 Ranked Colleges
50,306 Degrees Awarded
$28,300 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 50,306 people earned their degree in physical sciences, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, physical sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $39,880 and had an average of $22,620 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major” ranking, we looked at 1,524 colleges that offer a degree in physical sciences. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their physical sciences program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 Physical Sciences Major” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for physical sciences students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Physical Sciences

1
RBC crest
Richard Bland College of William and Mary
South Prince George, Virginia

Out of the 1,524 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Richard Bland College of William and Mary landed the #1 spot on the list. South Prince George, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 157 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at RBC

2

Out of the 1,524 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. California Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 143 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full California Institute of Technology Physical Sciences Report

3
UNM Taos crest
University of New Mexico - Taos Campus
Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of New Mexico - Taos Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major. University of New Mexico - Taos Campus is located in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of New Mexico - Taos Campus

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of New Mexico - Valencia County Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Los Lunas, New Mexico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UNM Valencia

5
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Medgar Evers College
Brooklyn, New York

Out of the 1,524 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Medgar Evers College landed the #5 spot on the list. Medgar is a small public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 225 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Medgar Evers College Physical Sciences Report

6
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #6, Haverford College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. This small school is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 59 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Haverford

7
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Northland College
Ashland, Wisconsin

Northland College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Ashland, Wisconsin, and it awarded 22 ’s physical sciences degrees 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 Physical Sciences at Northland College

8
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Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington

Whitman College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Whitman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Walla Walla, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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.

Full Whitman College Physical Sciences Report

9
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Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, Michigan

With a ranking of #9, Kalamazoo College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Kalamazoo College is a small school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 61 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at K College

10

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #10. Socorro, New Mexico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

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 full report on Physical Sciences at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

11
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Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Carleton College ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Carleton is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 61 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Physical Sciences at Carleton

12
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Reed College
Portland, Oregon

Reed College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. This small school is located in Portland, Oregon, and it awarded 37 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Reed

13
Middlesex County College crest
Middlesex County College
Edison, New Jersey

Middlesex County College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #13. Edison, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 207 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Middlesex County College

14
USCGA crest
United States Coast Guard Academy
New London, Connecticut

United States Coast Guard Academy landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. USCGA is a public institution located in New London, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physical Sciences at USCGA

15
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 216 students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.

Full Princeton University Physical Sciences Report

16
WNC crest
Western Nevada College
Carson City, Nevada

Western Nevada College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. This small school is located in Carson City, Nevada, and it awarded 106 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Full WNC Physical Sciences Report

17
Dillard University crest
Dillard University
New Orleans, Louisiana

Dillard University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Dillard University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Orleans, Louisiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Dillard University Physical Sciences Report

18
Annapolis crest
United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland

United States Naval Academy did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #18. Annapolis is a small school located in Annapolis, Maryland that handed out 104 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Annapolis

19
West Virginia Wesleyan crest
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Buckhannon, West Virginia

West Virginia Wesleyan College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #19. West Virginia Wesleyan College is located in Buckhannon, West Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at West Virginia Wesleyan College

20
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South Seattle College
Seattle, Washington

South Seattle College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. South Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full South Seattle Physical Sciences Report

21
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 63 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Williams College Physical Sciences Report

22
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Pomona is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 34 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Pomona

23

University of Puerto Rico - Humacao did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #23. UPR Humacao is a public institution located in Humacao, . The school has a small population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Puerto Rico - Humacao

24
Bates crest
Bates College
Lewiston, Maine

Bates College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Bates College is a small school located in Lewiston, Maine that handed out 46 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Bates College

25
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College ranked #25 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 26 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Beloit College

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Lycoming crest
Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
27
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Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois
28
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LaGuardia Community College
Long Island City, New York
29
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Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts
30
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Fisk University
Nashville, Tennessee
31
Harvey Mudd College crest
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California
32
Rhodes College crest
Rhodes College
Memphis, Tennessee
33
Hendrix crest
Hendrix College
Conway, Arkansas
34
Colorado College crest
Colorado College
Colorado Springs, Colorado
35
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Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania
36
Bethany College West Virginia crest
Bethany College West Virginia
Bethany, West Virginia
37
Lawrence U crest
Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin
38
Wesleyan U crest
Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut
39
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Washington College
Chestertown, Maryland
40
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Hamilton College
Clinton, New York
41
42
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Xavier University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
43
SUNY Empire crest
SUNY Empire State College
Saratoga Springs, New York
44
45
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Coe College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
46
47
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Kentucky Wesleyan College
Owensboro, Kentucky
48
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Colby College
Waterville, Maine
49
Alma crest
Alma College
Alma, Michigan
50
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Seattle Central College
Seattle, Washington

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Ripon College Ripon, WI
52 North Central Michigan College Petoskey, MI
53 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
54 North Seattle College Seattle, WA
55 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
56 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
57 Juniata College Huntingdon, PA
58 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA
59 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
60 Chandler-Gilbert Community College Chandler, AZ
61 Hampden - Sydney College Hampden-Sydney, VA
62 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
63 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
64 Davidson College Davidson, NC
65 Randolph College Lynchburg, VA
Rank College Location
66 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
67 Morehouse College Atlanta, GA
68 Ursinus College Collegeville, PA
69 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
70 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
71 Rice University Houston, TX
72 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
73 Albion College Albion, MI
74 Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA
75 Stanford University Stanford, CA
76 Smith College Northampton, MA
77 Knox College Galesburg, IL
78 Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA
79 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
80 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
81 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
82 Union College New York Schenectady, NY
83 Wells College Aurora, NY
84 Tougaloo College Tougaloo, MS
85 Marietta College Marietta, OH
86 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
87 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
88 Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA
89 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
90 Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO
Rank College Location
91 Lake Superior State University Sault Ste Marie, MI
92 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
93 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
94 University of Chicago Chicago, IL
95 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
96 Emory and Henry College Emory, VA
97 Covenant College Lookout Mountain, GA
98 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY
99 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
100 University of California - Merced Merced, CA
101 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
102 SUNY Geneseo Geneseo, NY
103 Estrella Mountain Community College Avondale, AZ
104 Wright State University - Lake Campus Celina, OH
105 University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR
106 Brown University Providence, RI
107 Hanover College Hanover, IN
108 Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS
109 Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA
110 Yale University New Haven, CT
111 Hope College Holland, MI
112 University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL
113 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA
114 University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA
115 Centre College Danville, KY
Rank College Location
116 Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN
117 Valley Forge Military College Wayne, PA
118 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
119 Cascadia College Bothell, WA
120 Whitworth University Spokane, WA
121 Presentation College Aberdeen, SD
122 University of Pittsburgh - Bradford Bradford, PA
123 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
124 Berea College Berea, KY
125 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
126 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
127 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
128 Glendale Community College Glendale, AZ
129 Furman University Greenville, SC
130 Wheaton College Massachusetts Norton, MA
131 Blackfeet Community College Browning, MT
132 Paradise Valley Community College Phoenix, AZ
133 University of the Virgin Islands Charlotte Amalie, VI
134 Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA
135 Jackson College Jackson, MI
136 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
137 Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA
138 Fort Lewis College Durango, CO
139 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
140 American River College Sacramento, CA
Rank College Location
141 El Camino College Torrance, CA
142 University of North Carolina at Asheville Asheville, NC
143 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
144 Montana Technological University Butte, MT
145 University of Puerto Rico - Cayey Cayey, PR
146 Roanoke College Salem, VA
147 Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI
148 Greenville University Greenville, IL
149 Willamette University Salem, OR
150 Erskine College Due West, SC
151 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
152 Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA
153 Southwestern University Georgetown, TX
154 Green River College Auburn, WA
155 Montana State University Bozeman, MT
156 Earlham College Richmond, IN
157 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA
157 Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Fayette, MO
159 Mount Wachusett Community College Gardner, MA
160 Mesa Community College Mesa, AZ
161 Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA
162 Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA
163 Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL
164 Compton College Compton, CA
165 Scripps College Claremont, CA
Rank College Location
166 Central College Pella, IA
167 Warren County Community College Washington, NJ
168 Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN
169 Monterey Peninsula College Monterey, CA
170 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
171 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
172 McMurry University Abilene, TX
173 Luther College Decorah, IA
173 Houghton College Houghton, NY
175 Scottsdale Community College Scottsdale, AZ
176 University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown Johnstown, PA
177 Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
178 Cornell University Ithaca, NY
179 Queensborough Community College Bayside, NY
180 Irvine Valley College Irvine, CA
181 Highline College Des Moines, WA
182 Geneva College Beaver Falls, PA
183 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott Prescott, AZ
183 Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, LA
185 Shepherd University Shepherdstown, WV
186 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
187 Salem College Winston-Salem, NC
188 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
189 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
190 Carthage College Kenosha, WI
Rank College Location
191 College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA
192 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
193 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
194 Kansas Wesleyan University Salina, KS
195 University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
196 Carlow University Pittsburgh, PA
197 University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK
198 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
199 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
200 Guilford College Greensboro, NC
201 University of New Orleans New Orleans, LA
202 Pitzer College Claremont, CA
203 United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO
204 Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Guayama Guayama, PR
205 Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN
206 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
207 College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY
208 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
209 New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY
210 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
211 Austin College Sherman, TX
212 Carroll College Helena, MT
213 Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY
214 Transylvania University Lexington, KY
215 Whittier College Whittier, CA
Rank College Location
216 Cuyamaca College El Cajon, CA
217 Tulsa Community College Tulsa, OK
218 Rust College Holly Springs, MS
219 Humboldt State University Arcata, CA
220 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
221 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
222 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
223 Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN
224 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
225 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH
226 Shoreline Community College Shoreline, WA
227 Southern Arkansas University Main Campus Magnolia, AR
228 Oklahoma Wesleyan University Bartlesville, OK
229 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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