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2026 Highest Paid Physics Grads in the The Plains States Region

[Physics](/majors/physical-sciences/physics/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The schools below stand out for the salaries their physics graduates go on to command.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the early-career earnings of their physics graduates.

What’s on this page:

• Highest Paid Physics Grads in the The Plains States Region

2026 Highest Paid Physics Grads in the The Plains States Region

If you want to know which schools send physics graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.

Highest Paid Physics Graduates

1

Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, MN

$88,070 Average Early-Career Salary

Leading the list is Gustavus Adolphus College, our #1 for physics graduate salaries in the The Plains States Region. Located in the town of Saint Peter, Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the physics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $88,070.

2

University Of Minnesota Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN

$66,489 Average Early-Career Salary

University Of Minnesota Twin Cities came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying physics schools. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a public school located in the city of Minneapolis. Early-career physics graduates from University Of Minnesota Twin Cities make a median of around $66,489 per year.

3

University Of Nebraska Lincoln
Lincoln, NE

$47,670 Average Early-Career Salary

A rank of #3 makes University Of Nebraska Lincoln one of the highest-paying schools for physics. University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a public school located in the city of Lincoln. Physics graduates of University Of Nebraska Lincoln earn a median of about $47,670 a year early in their careers.

View All Physics Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 3 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.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Graduate earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard) field-of-study earnings.

More about our data sources and methodologies.