by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2024, College Factual analyzed 128 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physics Master's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,949 master's degrees in physics to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of physics for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality physics program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for physics students working on their master'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 Master's Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for physics students seeking a a master's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It is hard to beat Stanford University if you want to pursue a master's degree in physics. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford.More information about a master’s in physics from Stanford University
It is difficult to beat University of Chicago if you want to pursue a master's degree in physics. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physics from University of Chicago
It is hard to beat University of Arizona if you want to pursue a master's degree in physics. Located in the city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Physics master's degree recipients from University of Arizona earn a boost of around $37,478 above the average income of physics majors.
More information about a master’s in physics from University of Arizona
It's hard to beat Johns Hopkins University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in physics. Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore.More information about a master’s in physics from Johns Hopkins University
Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.More information about a master’s in physics from Northwestern University
Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca.More information about a master’s in physics from Cornell University
Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in physics from University of Notre Dame
U-M is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor.More information about a master’s in physics from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Located in the city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the physics program state that they receive average early career earnings of $89,777.
More information about a master’s in physics from University of Rochester
Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physics from University of Wisconsin - Madison
UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.More information about a master’s in physics from University of California - Berkeley
Ohio State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Columbus.More information about a master’s in physics from Ohio State University - Main Campus
Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in physics from New York University
Located in the large suburb of Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in physics from University of Massachusetts Amherst
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physics from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physics from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in physics from University of California - Santa Barbara
Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physics from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
RIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Rochester.More information about a master’s in physics from Rochester Institute of Technology
Here are some additional great schools for Physics students that almost earned our Best Physics Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN |
| 21 | Northeastern University | Boston, MA |
| 22 | University of Maryland - College Park | College Park, MD |
| 23 | University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, CO |
| 24 | California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA |
| 25 | Drexel University | Philadelphia, PA |
View the Best Physics Master'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 | 1,643 |
| Other Physics | 147 |
| Optics/Optical Sciences | 99 |
| Acoustics | 54 |
| Condensed Matter & Materials Physics | 3 |
| Atomic/Molecular Physics | 1 |
| Elementary Particle Physics | 1 |
| Nuclear Physics | 1 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 2,246 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 1,663 |
| Materials Sciences | 270 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 213 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 187 |
| Other Physical Science | 148 |
| General Physical Sciences | 75 |
| Physics and Astronomy | 9 |
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