by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2024, College Factual analyzed 104 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physics Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,752 doctor's degrees in physics during the 2020-2021 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The physics doctor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their doctor's degree from the school. After all, your doctor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for physics students working on their doctor's degree.
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 Best Physics Doctor's Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in physics. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Stanford University is a great choice for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in physics. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physics from Stanford University
University of Chicago is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in physics. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a doctorate in physics from University of Chicago
Any student who is interested in a doctor's degree in physics needs to take a look at Northwestern University. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in physics from Northwestern University
It's difficult to beat University of Michigan - Ann Arbor if you want to pursue a doctor's degree in physics. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in physics from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Champaign.More information about a doctorate in physics from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Arizona is a very large public university located in the large city of Tucson.
Doctorate recipients from the physics program at University of Arizona get $7,483 above the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a doctorate in physics from University of Arizona
UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the city of Minneapolis.More information about a doctorate in physics from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physics from Johns Hopkins University
Located in the suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physics from University of Maryland - College Park
Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physics from Cornell University
Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.More information about a doctorate in physics from University of Notre Dame
UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a doctorate in physics from University of California - Santa Barbara
Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Doctorate students who receive their degree from the physics program earn an average of $75,527 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a doctorate in physics from University of California - Berkeley
Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a fairly large student population.
After graduation, physics doctorate recipients typically make an average of $79,371 in their early careers.
More information about a doctorate in physics from Ohio State University - Main Campus
Located in the city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in physics from Northeastern University
Here are some additional great schools for Physics students that almost earned our Best Physics Doctor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 17 | The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX |
| 18 | California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA |
| 19 | University of Rochester | Rochester, NY |
| 20 | University of California - San Diego | La Jolla, CA |
| 21 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA |
| 22 | University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA |
| 23 | University of California - Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 24 | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Madison, WI |
| 25 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA |
View the Best Physics Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
Physics is one of 8 different types of Physical Sciences programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Physics | 1,623 |
| Other Physics | 66 |
| Optics/Optical Sciences | 49 |
| Atomic/Molecular Physics | 5 |
| Condensed Matter & Materials Physics | 3 |
| Acoustics | 3 |
| Elementary Particle Physics | 2 |
| Nuclear Physics | 1 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 2,721 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 734 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 170 |
| Materials Sciences | 144 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 125 |
| Other Physical Science | 34 |
| General Physical Sciences | 32 |
| Physics and Astronomy | 14 |
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