2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physics
191
Ranked Colleges
1,752
Degrees Awarded
$81,190
Avg Salary
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 13,674 people earned their degree in physics, making the major the 68th most popular in the United States. 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 doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,752 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major” ranking looked at 191 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physics. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in physics.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Physics Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree physics students.
Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physics
Out of the 191 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Caltech is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 21 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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.
Full California Institute of Technology Physics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology Physics Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 18 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physics students in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at Princeton
Out of the 191 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #4 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 41 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Physics at Stanford University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rice University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major. Rice University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 21 doctorate’s physics 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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 Rice University
With a ranking of #6, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major list. New Mexico Tech is a small public school situated in Socorro, New Mexico. It awarded 2 doctorate’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.
Read full report on Physics at New Mexico Tech
University of Rochester ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Rochester, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. 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.
Read more about Physics at University of Rochester
Brandeis University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #8. Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s 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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at Brandeis University
With a ranking of #9, Yale University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major list. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 20 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 full report on Physics at Yale
Harvard University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Harvard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Harvard Physics Report
University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #11. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 18 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at Notre Dame
The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #12. The Graduate Center, CUNY is a medium-sized school located in New York, New York that handed out 11 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read more about Physics at The Graduate Center
Hampton University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Hampton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hampton, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Physics at Hampton University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Worcester Polytechnic Institute is located in Worcester, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s physics degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at WPI
With a ranking of #15, Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 7 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read more about Physics at Illinois Tech
Lehigh University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Lehigh University is a medium-sized school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that handed out 7 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Read more about Physics at Lehigh University
University of Colorado Boulder did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #17. University of Colorado Boulder is a public institution located in Boulder, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at CU - Boulder
With a ranking of #18, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major list. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 36 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read more about Physics at University of Arizona
Duke University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 20 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physics students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at Duke
Colorado School of Mines ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Golden, Colorado, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Colorado School of Mines Physics Report
Brown University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Physics at Brown
Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major ranking, coming in at #22. Case Western is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 11 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at Case Western Reserve University
University of Chicago ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 doctorate’s physics degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Physics at UChicago
Dartmouth College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major list. Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Hanover, New Hampshire. It awarded 6 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Dartmouth Physics Report
University of California - Berkeley ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 doctorate’s physics degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Read full report on Physics at University of California - Berkeley
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