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2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major

364 Ranked Colleges
6,760 Degrees Awarded
$63,256 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major” ranking.

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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 6,760 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major” ranking looked at 364 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physical sciences. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in physical sciences.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major

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

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Caltech is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 39 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full California Institute of Technology Physical Sciences Report

2

Out of the 364 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. New Mexico Tech is a small public school situated in Socorro, New Mexico. It awarded 16 masters’s physical sciences 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.

Full New Mexico Tech Physical Sciences Report

3
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major. Princeton is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 91 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Princeton University

4
Mines crest
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

Out of the 364 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Colorado School of Mines landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Golden, Colorado, this medium-sized public school awarded 57 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Mines Physical Sciences Report

5
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The Graduate Center, CUNY. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major. Located in New York, New York, this medium-sized public school handed out 64 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at The Graduate Center

6

Montana Technological University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Butte, Montana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Montana Technological University

7
University of Rochester crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York

University of Rochester came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Located in Rochester, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 83 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Rochester

8
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

With a ranking of #8, Brown University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Brown Physical Sciences Report

9
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #9. Mississippi State is a large public school situated in Mississippi State, Mississippi. It awarded 96 masters’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.

Full Mississippi State Physical Sciences Report

10
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 74 degrees to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Full Yale University Physical Sciences Report

11
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 167 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Johns Hopkins University Physical Sciences Report

12
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Eugene, Oregon, this large public school awarded 96 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UO Physical Sciences Report

13
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #13. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. 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 Rice Physical Sciences Report

14

University of Alaska Fairbanks did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #14. University of Alaska Fairbanks is a medium-sized school located in Fairbanks, Alaska that handed out 18 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UAF

15

Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management is located in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management

16
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 71 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 96%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University

17
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #17. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 87 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Chicago Physical Sciences Report

18
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

With a ranking of #18, Stanford University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 58 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Stanford University

19

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Located in Rapid City, South Dakota, this small public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at SD Mines

20

With a ranking of #20, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Akron Main Campus

21
University of Tulsa crest
University of Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma

University of Tulsa landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Tulsa, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Tulsa

22

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 22 masters’s degrees 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 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 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 Illinois Tech

23

University of North Carolina at Wilmington came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Located in Wilmington, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 54 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students 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 more about Physical Sciences at University of North Carolina at Wilmington

24

Michigan Technological University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Michigan Tech is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

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

Read more about Physical Sciences at Michigan Technological University

25
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Romeoville, Illinois, and it awarded 18 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full Lewis University Physical Sciences Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Plymouth State crest
Plymouth State University
Plymouth, New Hampshire
27
28
UNO crest
University of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
29
Wesleyan U crest
Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut
30
CUA crest
Catholic University of America
Washington, District of Columbia
31
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
32
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
33
34
35
36
37
38
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia
39
40
41
CNU crest
Christopher Newport University
Newport News, Virginia
42
Naval Postgraduate School crest
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California
43
44
45
Pitt State crest
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, Kansas
46
UofM crest
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
47
48
49
USJ crest
University of Saint Joseph
West Hartford, Connecticut
50
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS
52 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
53 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
54 North Carolina Central University Durham, NC
55 Furman University Greenville, SC

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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