by our College Data Analytics TeamWe've pulled together some essential information you should know about the program, including how many students graduate each year, the ethnic diversity of these students, average starting salaries, and more. We've also included details on how UW - Madison ranks compared to other colleges offering a major in physics.
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In College Factual's most recent rankings for the best schools for physics majors, UW - Madison came in at #12. This puts it in the top 5% of the country in this field of study. It is also ranked #1 in Wisconsin.
During the 2020-2021 academic year, University of Wisconsin - Madison handed out 56 bachelor's degrees in physics. This is a decrease of 8% over the previous year when 61 degrees were handed out.
In 2021, 42 students received their master’s degree in physics from UW - Madison. This makes it the #4 most popular school for physics master’s degree candidates in the country.
In addition, 27 students received their doctoral degrees in physics in 2021, making the school the #10 most popular school in the United States for this category of students.
The median salary of physics students who receive their bachelor's degree at UW - Madison is $45,916. This is great news for graduates of the program, since this figure is higher than the national average of $38,470 for all physics bachelor's degree recipients.
While getting their bachelor's degree at UW - Madison, physics students borrow a median amount of $20,500 in student loans. This is not too bad considering that the median debt load of all physics bachelor's degree recipients across the country is $23,500.
Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the physics majors at University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Of the 56 students who graduated with a Bachelor’s in physics from UW - Madison in 2021, 88% were men and 13% were women.
The majority of bachelor's degree recipients in this major at UW - Madison are white. In the most recent graduating class for which data is available, 57% of students fell into this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from University of Wisconsin - Madison with a bachelor's in physics.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 1 |
| Black or African American | 1 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4 |
| White | 32 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 14 |
| Other Races | 4 |
Of the 42 physics students who graduated with a master's degree in 2020-2021 from UW - Madison, about 76% were men and 24% were women.
The majority of the students with this major are white. About 57% of 2021 graduates were in this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from University of Wisconsin - Madison with a master's in physics.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 2 |
| Black or African American | 0 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1 |
| White | 24 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 14 |
| Other Races | 1 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 155 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 50 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 30 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 22 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
