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2023 Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s

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Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor's

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 12,875 people earned their degree in general physics, making the major the 60th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,941 general physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 768 colleges that offer a degree in general physics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular general physics programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s”.

1

Out of the 768 schools in the Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 195 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 93%.

Full UW Seattle General Physics Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 151 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCSB General Physics Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 129 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Physics at UC Berkeley

4

Out of the 768 schools in the Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #4 spot on the list. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 94 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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.

Full The University of Texas at Austin General Physics Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Colorado Boulder. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of Colorado Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 94 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at CU - Boulder

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Full University of Maryland - College Park General Physics Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 79 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCLA General Physics Report

8

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. MIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, 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 General Physics at MIT

9

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 75 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Full UC Santa Cruz General Physics Report

10

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at Ohio State University - Main Campus

11

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UMN Twin Cities General Physics Report

11
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 65 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Physics at UChicago

13

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at University of California - Irvine

13
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Stony Brook, New York, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stony Brook University General Physics Report

15

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s general physics degrees 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Read full report on General Physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor General Physics Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s list. UMass Amherst is a large school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 61 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read full report on General Physics at University of Massachusetts Amherst

18

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s general 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 freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UW - Madison General Physics Report

19
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

With a ranking of #19, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s list. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Cornell General Physics Report

20
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 52 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at Purdue

21
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s list. UPenn is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 General Physics at UPenn

21

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #21. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Read full report on General Physics at UCR

23
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s list. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, 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 General Physics at Virginia Tech

23
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s list. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 44 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Michigan State University General Physics Report

23
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a large school located in New Brunswick, New Jersey that handed out 44 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Physics at Rutgers University - New Brunswick

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
26
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
26
26
30
31
32
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
32
32
32
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
36
37
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon
37
37
40
41
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
41
Rowan crest
Rowan University
Glassboro, New Jersey
43
44
44
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
46
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
47
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas
47
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut
47
University of Rochester crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York
47
Wesleyan U crest
Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended General Physics Major for a Bachelor’s

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Stanford UniversityStanford, CA
51The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TX
51North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
51California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
55University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
55United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, MD
55Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
55University of Wisconsin - La CrosseLa Crosse, WI
59New York UniversityNew York, NY
59William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
61Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ
61University of Alabama in HuntsvilleHuntsville, AL
61Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
61Colby CollegeWaterville, ME
61California State Polytechnic University - PomonaPomona, CA
RankCollegeLocation
61University of Wisconsin - Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI
67Brown UniversityProvidence, RI
67The University of Texas at DallasRichardson, TX
67Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT
67SUNY GeneseoGeneseo, NY
71California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
71University of Nevada - RenoReno, NV
71California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA
71Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA
71University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN
76Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL
76University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC
76University of IowaIowa City, IA
76Portland State UniversityPortland, OR
76Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
76George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
82University of California - MercedMerced, CA
82Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL
82Reed CollegePortland, OR
82Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL
82Hamilton CollegeClinton, NY
82Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA
82University of Washington - Bothell CampusBothell, WA
82California State University - ChicoChico, CA
82The University of Texas at El PasoEl Paso, TX
RankCollegeLocation
82The College of New JerseyEwing, NJ
82Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC
93Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA
93University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
93Middle Tennessee State UniversityMurfreesboro, TN
93Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD
93Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
93Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
93The University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX
93Stockton UniversityGalloway, NJ
93Georgia College & State UniversityMilledgeville, GA
93Amherst CollegeAmherst, MA
93University of OregonEugene, OR
93Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA
105Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, IA
105Boston UniversityBoston, MA
105University of New Hampshire - Main CampusDurham, NH
105Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA
105Rice UniversityHouston, TX
105Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
105Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VT
105Bates CollegeLewiston, ME
105Seton Hall UniversitySouth Orange, NJ
105Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA
105Carleton CollegeNorthfield, MN
RankCollegeLocation
105University of DelawareNewark, DE
105Haverford CollegeHaverford, PA
105Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA

Notes and References

References

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