2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics
23
Ranked Colleges
122
Degrees Awarded
$37,100
Avg Cost*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major” ranking - to help you make that 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 122 engineering and applied physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in engineering and applied physics. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in engineering and applied physics.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Engineering & Applied Physics Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major”.
Top 23 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics
Out of the 23 schools in the Schools for a Master’s 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 #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and it awarded 16 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s applied physics degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 16 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Yale
Out of the 23 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach landed the #4 spot on the list. Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach is a private not-for-profit institution located in Daytona Beach, Florida. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 masters’s 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 Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stevens Institute of Technology. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major. This medium-sized school is located in Hoboken, New Jersey, and it awarded 8 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Stevens
Cornell University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 19 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Cornell University
Harvard University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Harvard University is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 12 masters’s applied physics degrees 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 Engineering & Applied Physics at Harvard University
Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 17 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Columbia
University of Central Oklahoma landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Edmond, Oklahoma is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s applied physics degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Central Oklahoma
Rice University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s applied physics degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Rice
University of California - San Diego ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 masters’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of California - San Diego
Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #12. Illinois Institute of Technology is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 masters’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Illinois Tech
University of Maine came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. UMaine is a fairly large school located in Orono, Maine that handed out 1 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Maine
New York University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #14. New York University is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 masters’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full NYU Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Northwestern University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 masters’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Northwestern University
Colorado School of Mines came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking. Colorado School of Mines is a public institution located in Golden, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 59 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Mines
University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #16. University of Virginia is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 1 masters’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 Engineering & Applied Physics Report
With a ranking of #16, Naval Postgraduate School did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Monterey, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s applied physics degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Naval Postgraduate School
University of California - Davis ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s applied physics degrees to 0 students 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 University of California - Davis Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Worcester Polytechnic Institute did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #16. WPI is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 0 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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 95%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #16. Troy, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s applied physics degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 91%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. University of Oklahoma is a large public school situated in Norman, Oklahoma. It awarded 5 masters’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Oklahoma
University of Tulsa ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major list. Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified masters’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Tulsa
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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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