2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in Pennsylvania
53
Ranked Colleges
439
Degrees Awarded
$50,536
Avg Salary
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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.
Across Pennsylvania, there were 638 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $50,536 and $26,539 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 439 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,741 and $27,572 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 53 colleges that offered a degree in physics. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in physics.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree physics students.
Top 28 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in Pennsylvania
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full UPenn Physics Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carnegie Mellon University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 23 bachelors’s physics 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Carnegie Mellon University Physics Report
Out of the 53 schools in the Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Haverford College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Read full report on Physics at Haverford
Out of the 53 schools in the Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Bucknell University landed the #4 spot on the list. Bucknell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at Bucknell
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s list. West Chester, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at WCUPA
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s. Pitt is a large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 17 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Physics Report
With a ranking of #7, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s list. Kutztown University is a public institution located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Physics at Kutztown University
Duquesne University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s list. Duquesne University is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 86%.
Read more about Physics at Duquesne University
Drexel University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. Drexel University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 12 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physics at Drexel
Grove City College ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s list. Grove City College is a small school located in Grove City, Pennsylvania that handed out 10 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Grove City College Physics Report
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Physics at Bloomsburg
Temple University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. Temple is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Physics at Temple
With a ranking of #12, Gettysburg College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s list. Gettysburg College is a small school located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 9 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Gettysburg College
Swarthmore College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.
Full Swarthmore Physics Report
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at SRU
Washington & Jefferson College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Washington, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.
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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Physics at W&J
With a ranking of #17, Dickinson College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s list. Carlisle, Pennsylvania 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.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. 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 full report on Physics at Dickinson College
Bryn Mawr College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. Bryn Mawr College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. It awarded 8 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Full Bryn Mawr Physics Report
Ursinus College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Physics at Ursinus
King’s College ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Physics at King’s College PA
Millersville University of Pennsylvania came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Millersville, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Millersville Physics Report
Moravian College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. Moravian is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Moravian Physics Report
Franklin and Marshall College ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s list. Franklin and Marshall is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at Franklin and Marshall College
With a ranking of #21, Susquehanna University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s list. Susquehanna is located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
Read full report on Physics at Susquehanna University
Allegheny College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #21. Allegheny College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Meadville, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read more about Physics at Allegheny
University of the Sciences came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of the Sciences Physics Report
Lycoming College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. Lycoming is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at Lycoming College
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Physics at East Stroudsburg University
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Notes and References
References
- 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.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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