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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Physics

955 Ranked Colleges
13,674 Degrees Awarded
$37,600 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Physics Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Physics Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Physics Major” ranking analyzed 955 colleges that offered a degree in physics. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in physics.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 “Most Well Attended Physics Major” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Well Attended Physics Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for physics students.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Physics Major. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 262 ’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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at UW Seattle

2

Out of the 955 schools in the Most Well Attended Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 199 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, 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%.

Full UCSB Physics Report

3

Out of the 955 schools in the Most Well Attended Physics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 197 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Physics at UC Berkeley

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Colorado Boulder. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major list. University of Colorado Boulder is a large school located in Boulder, Colorado that handed out 158 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Read more about Physics at University of Colorado Boulder

5
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major list. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 162 ’s 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

6
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking, coming in at #6. NYU is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 130 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full New York University Physics Report

7

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 144 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at University of Wisconsin - Madison

8

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 123 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at UCLA

9

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 122 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at University of California - Irvine

10
University of Rochester crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York

University of Rochester ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major list. University of Rochester is a fairly large school located in Rochester, New York that handed out 118 ’s physics degrees 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 University of Rochester Physics Report

10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking, coming in at #10. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 118 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

12

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 116 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Physics at MIT

13

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 114 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Ohio State Physics Report

14

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 111 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at UT Austin

15

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking. UMCP is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 109 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at University of Maryland - College Park

16
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking. Stony Brook, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 108 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Physics at SUNY Stony Brook

17
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #17, Harvard University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major list. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read full report on Physics at Harvard

18

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 106 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

19
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking, coming in at #19. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, 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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at University of Chicago

20
Pasadena City College crest
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California

Pasadena City College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking. Pasadena City College is a large public school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 100 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Pasadena City College Physics Report

21
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 99 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at UPenn

21
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 96 ’s 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Cornell University

23

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 95 students 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Physics Report

24

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 94 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Full UMN Twin Cities Physics Report

25

University of California - Davis came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 90 ’s physics 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Davis Physics Report

Rest of the Best 51 in Most Well Attended Physics Major

Not only did these schools make the top 51 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California
27
28
29
Irvine Valley College crest
Irvine Valley College
Irvine, California
30
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
30
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana
32
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
33
34
Moorpark College crest
Moorpark College
Moorpark, California
35
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
36
36
38
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
39
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
39
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
41
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
41
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey
43
43
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
45
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
45
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
47
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
47
47
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
50
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Physics Major

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

RankCollegeLocation
52Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA
53University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
54Duke UniversityDurham, NC
55California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA
56College of the CanyonsSanta Clarita, CA
56University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
56University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
56Arizona State University - TempeTempe, AZ
56University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA
61Rice UniversityHouston, TX
61Florida International UniversityMiami, FL
63California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
63Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR
63University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
63Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
RankCollegeLocation
67Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL
68Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY
69Santa Barbara City CollegeSanta Barbara, CA
69Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
69University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
72The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TX
72El Camino CollegeTorrance, CA
74Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA
74Golden West CollegeHuntington Beach, CA
74Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
77The University of Texas at DallasRichardson, TX
77Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomington, IN
77Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, NY
80Boston UniversityBoston, MA
80William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
82Saddleback CollegeMission Viejo, CA
82California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA
82University of IowaIowa City, IA
85The University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX
85Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
85University of Massachusetts - LowellLowell, MA
88California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
88University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC
88Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH
91Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
RankCollegeLocation
91University of HoustonHouston, TX
91Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA
91Norco CollegeNorco, CA
95University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
95Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
95Rowan UniversityGlassboro, NJ
95University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
99University of North TexasDenton, TX
99Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT
99University of Nevada - RenoReno, NV
99Chaffey CollegeRancho Cucamonga, CA
99West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV
104Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
104The Graduate Center, CUNYNew York, NY
104University of DelawareNewark, DE
104George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
104Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
109Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
109University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD
111University of Alabama in HuntsvilleHuntsville, AL
111Texas A&M University - CommerceCommerce, TX
111Washington University in St LouisSaint Louis, MO
111The University of Texas at El PasoEl Paso, TX
115University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
115Santiago Canyon CollegeOrange, CA
RankCollegeLocation
115Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
115University of New Hampshire - Main CampusDurham, NH
119Montana State UniversityBozeman, MT
119Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
119Antelope Valley CollegeLancaster, CA
119College of San MateoSan Mateo, CA
119Portland State UniversityPortland, OR
119Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC
119University of Wisconsin - La CrosseLa Crosse, WI
119University of ToledoToledo, OH
119Los Angeles Valley CollegeValley Glen, CA
119United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, MD
119University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
119California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
131University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
131University of New Mexico - Main CampusAlbuquerque, NM
131University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
131University of California - MercedMerced, CA
135Glendale Community CollegeGlendale, CA
135Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
135Kent State University at KentKent, OH
135University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY
135University of Wisconsin - Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI
135California State Polytechnic University - PomonaPomona, CA
135Towson UniversityTowson, MD
RankCollegeLocation
135San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
135University of KansasLawrence, KS
135Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, MA
135Colby CollegeWaterville, ME
135Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT
135Cypress CollegeCypress, CA

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