by our College Data Analytics Team
[Physics](/majors/physical-sciences/physics/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a physics degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find where physics graduates earn the most.
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If you want to know which schools send physics graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in physics, no school beat University Of Chicago this year. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, physics degree recipients from University Of Chicago typically earn about $91,650 annually.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Notre Dame one of the highest-paying schools for physics. University Of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame. Physics graduates of University Of Notre Dame earn a median of about $87,228 a year early in their careers.
University Of Wisconsin La Crosse produces some of the highest-paid graduates in physics, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Wisconsin La Crosse is a public school located in the city of La Crosse. Physics graduates of University Of Wisconsin La Crosse earn a median of about $84,403 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Ohio State University Main Campus earned it the #4 place for physics. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a public institution. After graduating, physics degree recipients from Ohio State University Main Campus typically earn about $80,357 annually.
University Of Wisconsin River Falls came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying physics schools. Located in the town of River Falls, University Of Wisconsin River Falls is a public institution. After graduating, physics degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin River Falls typically earn about $62,196 annually.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earned the #6 position for physics graduate earnings this year. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. Early-career physics graduates from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor make a median of around $75,644 per year.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying physics schools. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public school located in the city of Champaign. After graduating, physics degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign typically earn about $72,340 annually.
University Of Wisconsin Madison earned the #8 position for physics graduate earnings this year. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a public school located in the city of Madison. Physics graduates of University Of Wisconsin Madison earn a median of about $69,928 a year early in their careers.
Michigan State University landed the #9 spot for physics salaries this year. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a public institution. After graduating, physics degree recipients from Michigan State University typically earn about $75,119 annually.
Purdue University Main Campus earned the #10 position for physics graduate earnings this year. Purdue University Main Campus is a public school located in the city of West Lafayette. Students who complete the physics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $30,203.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their physics graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 10 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.