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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics

778 Ranked Colleges
8,290 Degrees Awarded
$39,260 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Physics Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major” ranking.

Physics is the 68th most popular major in the country with 13,674 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, physics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $42,960 and had an average of $22,756 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,290 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major” ranking, we looked at 778 colleges that offer a degree in physics. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their physics program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The physics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics

1
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Reed College
Portland, Oregon

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Reed College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major. This small school is located in Portland, Oregon, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Reed Physics Report

2
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Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California

Out of the 778 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvey Mudd College landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Physics at Harvey Mudd College

3
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Haverford College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Haverford College is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Physics at Haverford College

4
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Dillard University
New Orleans, Louisiana

Out of the 778 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Dillard University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in New Orleans, Louisiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Full Dillard University Physics Report

5
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Fisk University
Nashville, Tennessee

Out of the 778 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Fisk University landed the #5 spot on the list. Fisk University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Physics at Fisk

6
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Coe College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Coe College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Coe College is a small school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that handed out 18 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Coe College

7

California Institute of Technology landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. California Institute of Technology is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 23 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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.

Full Caltech Physics Report

8
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Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts

Amherst College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s physics 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Amherst Physics Report

9
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West Virginia Wesleyan College
Buckhannon, West Virginia

West Virginia Wesleyan College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. West Virginia Wesleyan College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Buckhannon, West Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physics at West Virginia Wesleyan College

10
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Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa

Grinnell College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #10. Grinnell College is a small school located in Grinnell, Iowa that handed out 19 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Grinnell College

11
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Pomona is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at Pomona

12
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Hendrix College
Conway, Arkansas

Hendrix College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Conway, Arkansas, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Hendrix Physics Report

13
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Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

With a ranking of #13, Carleton College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Carleton College is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 19 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 0.8% 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 Carleton College Physics Report

14
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Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio

Kenyon College ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Kenyon College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Gambier, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 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. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Kenyon College Physics Report

15
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Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

Hamilton College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. This small school is located in Clinton, New York, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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 more about Physics at Hamilton College

16
Colby crest
Colby College
Waterville, Maine

With a ranking of #16, Colby College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Waterville, Maine is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Physics at Colby College

17
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Hampden - Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

Hampden - Sydney College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. This small school is located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Hampden - Sydney College

18
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Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Knox

19
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Bates College
Lewiston, Maine

Bates College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Bates is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lewiston, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Physics at Bates College

20
McMurray University crest
McMurry University
Abilene, Texas

With a ranking of #20, McMurry University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Abilene, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physics at McMurry University

21
Colorado College crest
Colorado College
Colorado Springs, Colorado

With a ranking of #21, Colorado College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Colorado College

22
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Albion College
Albion, Michigan

Albion College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Albion is located in Albion, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Full Albion Physics Report

23

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #23. New Mexico Tech is located in Socorro, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Physics at New Mexico Tech

24
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Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin

Lawrence University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Lawrence University is a small school located in Appleton, Wisconsin that handed out 11 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 87%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Physics at Lawrence University

25
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Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Kalamazoo College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Kalamazoo College is a small school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 15 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at K College

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major

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

26
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Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania
27
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Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois
28
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Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
29
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Southwestern University
Georgetown, Texas
30
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Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts
31
32
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Emory and Henry College
Emory, Virginia
33
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Randolph College
Lynchburg, Virginia
34
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Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut
35
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Central College
Pella, Iowa
36
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Davidson College
Davidson, North Carolina
37
38
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Wells College
Aurora, New York
39
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Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia
40
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United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland
41
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Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington
42
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Morehouse College
Atlanta, Georgia
43
44
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Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont
45
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Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio
46
Roanoke crest
Roanoke College
Salem, Virginia
47
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts
48
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Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania
49
Union College crest
Union College New York
Schenectady, New York
50
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Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major

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

Rank College Location
51 Washington College Chestertown, MD
52 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
53 Whitworth University Spokane, WA
54 SUNY Geneseo Geneseo, NY
55 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
56 Southern Arkansas University Main Campus Magnolia, AR
57 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
58 Willamette University Salem, OR
59 Rhodes College Memphis, TN
60 Berry College Mount Berry, GA
61 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
62 Austin College Sherman, TX
63 University of the Virgin Islands Charlotte Amalie, VI
64 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
65 Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA
Rank College Location
66 Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN
67 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
68 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
69 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
70 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
71 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
72 Juniata College Huntingdon, PA
72 Bridgewater College Bridgewater, VA
74 Grove City College Grove City, PA
75 Earlham College Richmond, IN
76 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
77 Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, MA
78 Greenville University Greenville, IL
79 Scripps College Claremont, CA
80 Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL
81 Luther College Decorah, IA
82 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
83 United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO
84 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
85 Siena College Loudonville, NY
86 Centre College Danville, KY
87 St Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s City, MD
88 Bethel University Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
89 Wheaton College Massachusetts Norton, MA
90 Birmingham Southern College Birmingham, AL
Rank College Location
91 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
92 Brevard College Brevard, NC
93 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
94 Xavier University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
95 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
96 Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA
97 Westminster College Utah Salt Lake City, UT
98 Marietta College Marietta, OH
99 Berea College Berea, KY
100 Alma College Alma, MI
101 Denison University Granville, OH
102 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
103 Pitzer College Claremont, CA
104 Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA
105 University of Puerto Rico - Humacao Humacao, PR
106 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
107 Carthage College Kenosha, WI
108 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA
109 King’s College Wilkes-Barre, PA
110 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
111 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
112 Beloit College Beloit, WI
113 Ave Maria University Ave Maria, FL
114 Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, NE
115 Saint Mary’s College Notre Dame, IN
Rank College Location
116 Princeton University Princeton, NJ
117 Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology Terre Haute, IN

Notes and References

References

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