by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for physics students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 542 bachelor's degrees in physics during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The physics bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality physics program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for physics students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Physics Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in physics.
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in physics has to look into University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the physics program report average early career wages of $55,327.
More information about a bachelor’s in physics from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Iowa State University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in physics. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physics from Iowa State University
It's hard to beat Carleton College if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in physics. Carleton is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Northfield.More information about a bachelor’s in physics from Carleton College
University of Missouri - Columbia is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in physics. Mizzou is a fairly large public university located in the city of Columbia.More information about a bachelor’s in physics from University of Missouri - Columbia
St. Olaf is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Northfield.More information about a bachelor’s in physics from St Olaf College
Iowa is a fairly large public university located in the city of Iowa City.More information about a bachelor’s in physics from University of Iowa
KU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Lawrence.More information about a bachelor’s in physics from University of Kansas
UMSL is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis.More information about a bachelor’s in physics from University of Missouri - St Louis
UMN Duluth is a moderately-sized public university located in the city of Duluth.More information about a bachelor’s in physics from University of Minnesota - Duluth
WSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Wichita.More information about a bachelor’s in physics from Wichita State University
Explore the best physics schools for a specific state in the Plains States Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 228 | 96 |
| Minnesota | 215 | 199 |
| Iowa | 197 | 112 |
| Kansas | 184 | 57 |
| Nebraska | 180 | 49 |
| North Dakota | 149 | 15 |
| South Dakota | 148 | 14 |
Physics is one of 8 different types of Physical Sciences programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Physics | 529 |
| Other Physics | 13 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 1,189 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 263 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 81 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 38 |
| General Physical Sciences | 17 |
| Other Physical Science | 8 |
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