2023 Most Popular Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics
129
Ranked Colleges
994
Degrees Awarded
$34,100
Avg Cost*
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 “Most Well Attended 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.
For this year’s “Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major” ranking, we looked at 129 colleges that offer a degree in engineering and applied physics. To top this list, a school must have a successful engineering and applied physics program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 “Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major”.
Top 25 Most Popular Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UIUC
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornell University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major list. Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 62 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Cornell
Out of the 129 schools in the Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Colorado School of Mines landed the #3 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Golden, Colorado, and it awarded 59 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Mines
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 41 ’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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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.
Full Columbia Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Out of the 129 schools in the Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Murray State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Murray, Kentucky, and it awarded 29 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Murray State
Tulane University of Louisiana did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #6. Tulane University of Louisiana is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Orleans, Louisiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, 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. 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 full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Tulane
With a ranking of #7, University of Colorado Boulder did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major list. University of Colorado Boulder is a large school located in Boulder, Colorado that handed out 27 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Colorado Boulder Engineering & Applied Physics Report
With a ranking of #8, Yale University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major list. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 Yale University
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 23 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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.
Full Ohio State Engineering & Applied Physics Report
University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major ranking. UW - Platteville is a public institution located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at UW - Platteville
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Stephen F Austin State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #11. Stephen F Austin State University is a fairly large public school situated in Nacogdoches, Texas. It awarded 21 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at SFASU
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Daytona Beach, Florida, and it awarded 21 ’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%.
Full Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Lansing Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Lansing, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.
Full Lansing Community College Engineering & Applied Physics Report
With a ranking of #15, California Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 19 degrees to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at California Institute of Technology
With a ranking of #15, Fordham University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major list. Fordham U is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 19 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Fordham U
Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major ranking. Located in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, this small public school awarded 121 degrees to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management
With a ranking of #18, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Full UC Berkeley Engineering & Applied Physics Report
With a ranking of #18, Delaware State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major list. Delaware State University is a public institution located in Dover, Delaware. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Delaware State University Engineering & Applied Physics Report
University of California - San Diego came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major ranking. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 17 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 94%.
Full University of California - San Diego Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Harvard University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major ranking. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 17 degrees to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.
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. 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 Harvard
Southeast Missouri State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major ranking, coming in at #22. Southeast Missouri State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It awarded 16 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Southeast Missouri State University
Biola University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major ranking. Biola is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Mirada, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Biola
Morehouse College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major ranking. Morehouse College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 10 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Morehouse Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Rice University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Applied Physics Major list. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 10 students 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 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Rice Engineering & Applied Physics Report
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