2024 Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

When it comes to popularity, a master's degree in physical sciences sits in the middle of the road, ranking #19 out of 37 majors in the country. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 2 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 307 master's degrees in physical sciences during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Master’s Degree Schools List

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to physical sciences students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - How many other physical sciences students want to attend this school to pursue a master's degree.
• Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
• Student Debt - How much debt physical sciences students go into to obtain their master's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized physical sciences related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for physical sciences students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Physical Sciences in Pennsylvania

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for physical sciences students seeking a a master's degree.

Top Pennsylvania Schools for a Master's in Physical Sciences

1

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA

Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

18 Annual Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in physical sciences needs to look into University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. Pitt is a very large public university located in the large city of Pittsburgh.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

1

Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA

Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

15 Annual Graduates

Drexel University is a wonderful choice for students interested in a master's degree in physical sciences. Drexel is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Drexel University

2

Temple University
Philadelphia, PA

Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

17 Annual Graduates

Temple University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in physical sciences. Temple is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Philadelphia.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Temple University

Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
New York	35	647
New Jersey	32	173
Maryland	32	217
District of Columbia	32	56
Delaware	24	25

View All Rankings >

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

Major	Annual Graduates
Physics	106
Chemistry	104
Geological & Earth Sciences	40
Materials Sciences	38
Astronomy & Astrophysics	13
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology	6

Majors Similar to Physical Sciences

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Engineering	2,617
Mathematics & Statistics	874
Biological & Biomedical Sciences	864
Engineering Technologies	444
Architecture & Related Services	324
Natural Resources & Conservation	154
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations	62
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences	39
Science Technologies / Technicians	4

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• 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 the rest 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).
• Credit for the banner image above goes to NASA. More about our data sources and methodologies.