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2024 Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

46 Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
9,556 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$38,887 Avg Early-Career Salary
When it comes to popularity, physical sciences sits in the middle of the road, ranking #19 out of 38 majors in the country. So, you may have to do some digging around to find quality schools that offer the degree program. This list can help with that.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 46 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 9,556 degrees in physical sciences during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Physical Sciences School

Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region The physical sciences program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Physical Sciences rankings. For our Best Overall Physical Sciences School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Physical Sciences 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 Middle Atlantic Region. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Physical Sciences in the Middle Atlantic Region

The schools below may not offer all types of physical sciences degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Middle Atlantic Region Schools in Physical Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
244 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
16.4% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Johns Hopkins University if you want to pursue a degree in physical sciences. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 244 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from Johns Hopkins University receive $13,911 more than the typical physical sciences grad.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Johns Hopkins University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
258 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$38,146 Median Starting Salary

Cornell University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in physical sciences. Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were approximately 258 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn an average of $38,146 for their early career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Cornell University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
267 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$49,355 Median Starting Salary

University of Maryland - College Park is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in physical sciences. Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were roughly 267 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Physical Sciences degree recipients from University of Maryland - College Park get an earnings boost of about $10,468 above the average income of physical sciences majors.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Maryland - College Park

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
189 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
9.5% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat University of Rochester if you wish to pursue a degree in physical sciences. University of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Rochester. A Best Colleges rank of #104 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Rochester is a great university overall.

There were roughly 189 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Rochester in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the physical sciences degree program at University of Rochester make $50,890 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
0.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Rochester, RIT is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 22nd out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 131 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at RIT in the most recent year we have data available. Physical Sciences degree recipients from Rochester Institute of Technology earn a boost of approximately $35,794 over the typical income of physical sciences graduates.

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

6
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
215 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$27,968 Median Starting Salary

NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were about 215 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, physical sciences degree recipients typically make an average of $27,968 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from New York University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
134 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
6.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Newark, UD is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #118 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UD is a great university overall.

There were about 134 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UD in the most recent year we have data available. Physical Sciences degree recipients from University of Delaware earn a boost of around $23,270 over the typical income of physical sciences majors.

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

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
222 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$41,674 Median Starting Salary

Pitt is a fairly large public university located in the city of Pittsburgh. A Best Colleges rank of #79 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Pitt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 222 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Pitt in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the physical sciences major at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus get $2,787 more than the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

9
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
14.3% Growth in Graduates

Drexel is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #125 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Drexel is a great university overall.

There were about 70 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Drexel in the most recent year we have data available. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from Drexel University receive $5,777 more than the typical physical sciences grad.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Drexel University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
16.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Troy, RPI is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #106 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means RPI is a great school overall.

There were roughly 99 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at RPI in the most recent year we have data available. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute receive $3,561 more than the average physical sciences graduate.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Best Physical Sciences Colleges by State

Explore the best physical sciences schools for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New Jersey 38 1,087
Pennsylvania 38 2,556
New York 38 4,474
Maryland 37 930
Delaware 33 155
District of Columbia 33 190

View All Rankings >

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 3,341
Physics 2,435
Geological & Earth Sciences 1,361
General Physical Sciences 1,275
Other Physical Science 323
Materials Sciences 321
Astronomy & Astrophysics 284
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 216

View All Physical Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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