College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region

23 Ranked Colleges
640 Degrees Awarded
$68,993 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Physical Sciences is the 19th most popular major in the country with 50,306 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, physical sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $39,880 and had an average of $22,620 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 5,145 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,669 and $22,079 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 640 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,218 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physical sciences. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their physical sciences program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Physical Sciences Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Physical Sciences Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region doctor’s degree physical sciences students.

Top 23 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Southwest Region

1

Out of the 23 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is a public institution located in Socorro, New Mexico. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees 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.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at New Mexico Tech

2
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Out of the 23 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #2 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 39 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Rice

3
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 #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region list. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 77 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Arizona Physical Sciences Report

4
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region. UH is a large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 73 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UH

5

Out of the 23 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this large public school awarded 32 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

Full University of New Mexico - Main Campus Physical Sciences Report

6

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Physical Sciences at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

7
University of Tulsa crest
University of Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma

With a ranking of #7, University of Tulsa did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region list. Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students 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 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.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Tulsa

8

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking. UT Southwestern is a public institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Physical Sciences Report

9
Baylor crest
Baylor University
Waco, Texas

Baylor University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Waco, Texas, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Baylor University Physical Sciences Report

10

Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #10. Texas A&M University - College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 88 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Texas A&M College Station Physical Sciences Report

11

New Mexico State University - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico that handed out 14 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

12

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #12. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full UT Austin Physical Sciences Report

13

The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #13. UT Dallas is located in Richardson, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at The University of Texas at Dallas

14

Southern Methodist University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #14. Dallas, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at SMU

15

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #15. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Stillwater, Oklahoma that handed out 19 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

16

The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this large public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at The University of Texas at San Antonio

17
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region list. Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Texas Tech Physical Sciences Report

18

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Arizona State University - Tempe

19
TCU crest
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, Texas

Texas Christian University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #19. Texas Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Worth, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at TCU

20

The University of Texas at Arlington landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking. This large school is located in Arlington, Texas, and it awarded 23 doctorate’s physical sciences 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%.

Full The University of Texas at Arlington Physical Sciences Report

21

The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking. UTEP is located in El Paso, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Full The University of Texas at El Paso Physical Sciences Report

22

University of North Texas did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #22. Denton, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UNT

23
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Southwest Region ranking. This large school is located in Flagstaff, Arizona, and it awarded 142 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Northern Arizona University

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options