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2024 Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region

55 Colleges in the Southeast Region
9,420 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$36,772 Avg Early-Career Salary
Physical Sciences is about average in terms of popularity for degree programs. That is, it ranks #19 out of the 38 majors across the country that we analyze each year. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

College Factual reviewed 55 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of physical sciences. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 9,420 degrees in physical sciences during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Physical Sciences School

Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region Your choice of physical sciences school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Physical Sciences School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Physical Sciences Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Physical Sciences
Bachelor's Degrees in Physical Sciences
Master's Degrees in Physical Sciences
Doctor's Degrees in Physical Sciences

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Physical Sciences in the Southeast 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 physical sciences degree levels they offer.

10 Top Southeast Region Schools in Physical Sciences

1
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
138 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$20,784 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Emory University if you wish to pursue a degree in physical sciences. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.

There were about 138 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, physical sciences degree recipients usually make around $20,784 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Emory University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
241 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
22.8% Growth in Graduates

University of Virginia - Main Campus is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in physical sciences. University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Charlottesville. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were about 241 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, physical sciences degree recipients generally make an average of $28,682 in the first five years of their career.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
314 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$41,551 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill if you want to pursue a degree in physical sciences. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were approximately 314 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the physical sciences major at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill make $4,779 above the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

4
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
18.4% Growth in Graduates

Wake Forest University is a great choice for students interested in a degree in physical sciences. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Winston-Salem. A Best Colleges rank of #128 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Wake Forest University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 49 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Wake Forest University in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn an average of $37,985 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Wake Forest University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
124 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$34,598 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #24 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Georgia Tech is a great school overall.

There were roughly 124 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Tech in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program state that they receive average early career earnings of $34,598.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
295 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$35,896 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UF is a great university overall.

There were about 295 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the physical sciences program make about $35,896 for their early career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Florida

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
146 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$45,626 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 29 colleges for overall quality in the state of Louisiana.

There were about 146 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Louisiana State University in the most recent year we have data available. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College earn $8,854 more than the typical physical sciences student.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

8
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
120 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$27,623 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were approximately 120 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program state that they receive average early career wages of $27,623.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from William & Mary

9
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
205 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$31,205 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 205 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, physical sciences degree recipients generally make around $31,205 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Virginia Tech

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
194 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
3.6% Growth in Graduates

NC State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Raleigh. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 194 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the physical sciences degree program at North Carolina State University get $12,996 above the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from North Carolina State University

Best Physical Sciences Colleges by State

Explore the best physical sciences colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 1,591
West Virginia 38 238
Mississippi 38 518
South Carolina 38 424
Florida 38 1,496
Virginia 38 1,474
Arkansas 38 370
Alabama 37 554
Kentucky 37 455
Georgia 37 1,064
Tennessee 37 721
Louisiana 37 473

View All Rankings >

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 5,043
Physics 2,030
Geological & Earth Sciences 1,540
General Physical Sciences 239
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 205
Other Physical Science 155
Astronomy & Astrophysics 131
Materials Sciences 39
Physics and Astronomy 38

View All Physical Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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