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2024 Best Physical Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in Virginia

9 Colleges in Virginia
1,080 Bachelor's Degrees
$33,716 Avg Early-Career Salary
When it comes to popularity, a bachelor's degree in physical sciences sits in the middle of the road, ranking #18 out of 38 majors in the country. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for physical sciences students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,080 bachelor's degrees in physical sciences to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Physical Sciences School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Physical Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in Virginia Your choice of physical sciences for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

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

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

One Size Does Not Fit All

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

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Physical Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in Virginia list to help you make the college decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Physical Sciences in Virginia

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in physical sciences.

Top Virginia Schools for a Bachelor's in Physical Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
174 Annual Graduates

University of Virginia - Main Campus is a great choice for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of Virginia - Main Campus

2
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
105 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat William & Mary if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the small suburb of Williamsburg.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from William & Mary

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
132 Annual Graduates

Virginia Commonwealth University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. VCU is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Richmond.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University

4
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in physical sciences needs to look into Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Virginia Tech

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from George Mason University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
27 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Newport News, CNU is a public university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Christopher Newport University

7
UMW crest
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, VA
53 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize suburb of Fredericksburg, UMW is a public university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of Mary Washington

8
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
89 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from James Madison University

9
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, VA
34 Annual Graduates

Located in the small suburb of Radford, Radford is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Radford University

Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 34 1,153
Mississippi 34 303
Florida 34 1,037
Alabama 33 431
Georgia 33 816
West Virginia 32 189
Tennessee 32 560
South Carolina 32 335
Kentucky 31 363
Louisiana 31 331
Arkansas 30 299

View All Rankings >

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 589
Physics 268
Geological & Earth Sciences 112
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 47
Other Physical Science 45
Astronomy & Astrophysics 19

Related Major Annual Graduates
Biological & Biomedical Sciences 3,964
Engineering 3,470
Mathematics & Statistics 810
Natural Resources & Conservation 578
Engineering Technologies 458
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations 340
Architecture & Related Services 212
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 96

Notes and References

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