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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Physics in North Carolina

20 Ranked Colleges
356 Degrees Awarded
$28,600 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 North Carolina, there were 356 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,424 and $22,057 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physics. To top this list, a school must have a successful physics program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 “Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina

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

1
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, North Carolina State University landed the #1 spot on the list. NC State is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Read full report on Physics at NC State

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina list. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Physics Report

3
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina list. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 53 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Full Duke Physics Report

4
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Appalachian State University landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 45 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Appalachian State University Physics Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 35 degrees to qualified ’s physics 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 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at UNC Charlotte

6
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina ranking. Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Wake Forest University Physics Report

6
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

With a ranking of #6, East Carolina University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina list. Greenville, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

Full East Carolina University Physics Report

8
Davidson crest
Davidson College
Davidson, North Carolina

Davidson College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Davidson, North Carolina, and it awarded 15 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Davidson

9

University of North Carolina at Pembroke came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina ranking. Located in Pembroke, North Carolina, this medium-sized public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Full University of North Carolina at Pembroke Physics Report

9

University of North Carolina at Wilmington ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina list. UNCW is a fairly large school located in Wilmington, North Carolina that handed out 9 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Full UNCW Physics Report

11

University of North Carolina at Asheville came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina ranking. University of North Carolina at Asheville is a small school located in Asheville, North Carolina that handed out 7 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physics at University of North Carolina at Asheville

11

University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina list. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physics at UNC Greensboro

13
NC A&T crest
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, North Carolina

With a ranking of #13, North Carolina A & T State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina list. North Carolina A & T State University is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 6 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physics at North Carolina A & T State University

14
Lenoir - Rhyne University crest
Lenoir - Rhyne University
Hickory, North Carolina

Lenoir - Rhyne University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina ranking. Located in Hickory, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Full Lenoir - Rhyne University Physics Report

15
North Carolina Central University crest
North Carolina Central University
Durham, North Carolina

North Carolina Central University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina ranking. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Full North Carolina Central University Physics Report

16
Elon crest
Elon University
Elon, North Carolina

With a ranking of #16, Elon University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina list. Located in Elon, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Elon

16
Guilford crest
Guilford College
Greensboro, North Carolina

Guilford College ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina list. Guilford College is a small school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 3 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physics at Guilford College

18
High Point crest
High Point University
High Point, North Carolina

High Point University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina ranking. High Point University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in High Point, North Carolina. It awarded 2 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at High Point

18
Brevard College crest
Brevard College
Brevard, North Carolina

Brevard College ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina list. Located in Brevard, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Full Brevard College Physics Report

20
Queens crest
Queens University of Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina

Queens University of Charlotte landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in North Carolina ranking. Queens is a small school located in Charlotte, North Carolina that handed out 0 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%. 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.

Full Queens Physics Report

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