2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences
1,192
Ranked Colleges
30,906
Degrees Awarded
$36,876
Avg Salary
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 50,306 people earned their degree in physical sciences, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 30,906 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 1,192 colleges that offered a degree in physical sciences. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in physical sciences.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 “Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
Top 25 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 420 bachelors’s physical sciences 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW Seattle
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 410 students in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full University of California - San Diego Physical Sciences Report
Out of the 1,192 schools in the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 357 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 296 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Physical Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Cruz. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 274 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Physical Sciences Report
University of California - Irvine came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 266 students 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 1.4% 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Irvine
With a ranking of #6, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 266 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UT Austin
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 252 bachelors’s physical sciences 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Physical Sciences Report
University of Colorado Boulder came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Colorado Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 241 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
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 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at CU - Boulder
University of Florida ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 229 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees 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 1.7% 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 full report on Physical Sciences at University of Florida
With a ranking of #11, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 226 bachelors’s physical sciences 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at UNC Chapel Hill
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 212 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UMN Twin Cities Physical Sciences Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 208 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 201 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles
Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 190 bachelors’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 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%.
Full Texas A&M University - College Station Physical Sciences Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #16. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 189 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Ohio State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #17, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school handed out 184 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Arizona
University of Maryland - College Park came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UMCP is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 183 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UMCP
Stony Brook University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Stony Brook University is located in Stony Brook, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 182 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at SUNY Stony Brook
University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #20. University of Virginia - Main Campus is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 174 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
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 0.7% 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 University of Virginia - Main Campus
University of California - Davis came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 172 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Davis
Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #22. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 171 students in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Arizona State University - Tempe
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 167 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Purdue Physical Sciences Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 167 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Physical Sciences Report
University of Utah did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. University of Utah is a public institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 164 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 University of Utah
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