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2024 Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region

43 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
6,421 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$42,323 Avg Early-Career Salary
Physical Sciences isn't the most popular major in the world, but it's not the least popular either. To be more precise it ranks #19 in popularity 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.

College Factual reviewed 43 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of physical sciences. Combined, these schools handed out 6,421 degrees in physical sciences to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Physical Sciences School

Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of physical sciences school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for physical sciences schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Physical Sciences Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Physical Sciences
Bachelor's Degrees in Physical Sciences
Master's Degrees in Physical Sciences
Doctor's Degrees in Physical Sciences

The physical sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Physical Sciences in the Great Lakes Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the physical sciences degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Physical Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
317 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
11.7% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in physical sciences needs to check out University of Chicago. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 317.00000000000006 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from University of Chicago make $2,168 more than the average physical sciences graduate.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Chicago

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
146 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
15.1% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in physical sciences. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 146 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Physical Sciences degree recipients from Northwestern University receive an earnings boost of approximately $29,757 over the typical income of physical sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Northwestern University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
375 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$59,612 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you wish to pursue a degree in physical sciences. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 375 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn $17,289 more than the average physical sciences grad.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
401 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
1.2% Growth in Graduates

University of Wisconsin - Madison is a great option for students interested in a degree in physical sciences. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were roughly 401 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison receive $2,936 more than the standard physical sciences grad.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Wisconsin - Madison

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
347 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$31,888 Median Starting Salary

U-M is a very large public university located in the city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were roughly 347 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, physical sciences degree recipients usually earn about $31,888 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
5.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were roughly 99 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from University of Notre Dame earn $20,508 more than the average physical sciences student.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Notre Dame

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
310 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$53,929 Median Starting Salary

Ohio State is a very large public university located in the city of Columbus. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were about 310 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available. Physical Sciences degree recipients from Ohio State University - Main Campus receive an earnings boost of around $11,606 over the average earnings of physical sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Ohio State University - Main Campus

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$78,333 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Chicago, Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population. This school ranks 9th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 53 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Illinois Tech in the most recent data year. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from Illinois Institute of Technology receive $36,010 more than the typical physical sciences graduate.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Illinois Institute of Technology

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
274 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
2.6% Growth in Graduates

Purdue is a fairly large public university located in the city of West Lafayette. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were roughly 274 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from Purdue University - Main Campus make $5,777 more than the typical physical sciences student.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Purdue University - Main Campus

10
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
233 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$44,239 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 233 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn about $44,239 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Michigan State University

Best Physical Sciences Colleges by State

Explore the best physical sciences colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 38 948
Michigan 38 1,282
Ohio 38 1,579
Illinois 38 1,678
Wisconsin 37 873

View All Rankings >

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 3,288
Physics 1,760
Geological & Earth Sciences 818
Astronomy & Astrophysics 249
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 174
General Physical Sciences 80
Materials Sciences 37
Other Physical Science 15

View All Physical Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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