2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics
18
Ranked Colleges
55
Degrees Awarded
$37,100
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 994 people earned their degree in engineering and applied physics, making the major the 448th most popular in the United States.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 55 engineering and applied physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree in engineering and applied physics. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in engineering and applied physics.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major”.
Top 18 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major. Caltech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Caltech
Out of the 18 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management landed the #2 spot on the list. Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management is located in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rice University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified doctorate’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.
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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Rice University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 11 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Cornell
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 6 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 97%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Northwestern
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #6. Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Daytona Beach, Florida. It awarded 1 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach
Harvard University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s applied physics degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Harvard
Yale University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #8. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 2 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Yale University
Naval Postgraduate School ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. This small school is located in Monterey, California, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Naval Postgraduate School
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 6 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Columbia University in the City of New York
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #11. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of California - San Diego
University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 University of Virginia - Main Campus Engineering & Applied Physics Report
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is located in Norman, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Oklahoma
Stevens Institute of Technology landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Stevens Institute of Technology is a medium-sized school located in Hoboken, New Jersey that handed out 11 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Stevens Engineering & Applied Physics Report
University of California - Davis ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 0 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UC Davis Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Worcester Polytechnic Institute came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 0 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Brown University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #13. Brown University is a fairly large school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 2 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Brown
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #13. RPI is a medium-sized school located in Troy, New York that handed out 0 doctorate’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to NASA.
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