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2024 Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region

55 Colleges in the Southeast Region
9,618 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$36,848 Avg Early-Career Salary
Physical Sciences is about average in terms of popularity for degree programs. That is, it ranks #19 out of the 38 majors across the country that we analyze each year. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

College Factual reviewed 55 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of physical sciences. Combined, these schools handed out 9,618 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 Southeast Region Your choice of physical sciences school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Physical Sciences School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

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 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.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Physical Sciences in the Southeast Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the physical sciences degree levels they offer.

10 Top Southeast Region Schools in Physical Sciences

1
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
169 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
18.3% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat Emory University if you wish to pursue a degree in physical sciences. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.

There were roughly 169 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, physical sciences degree recipients generally earn an average of $20,784 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Emory University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
236 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$28,682 Median Starting Salary

University of Virginia - Main Campus is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in physical sciences. University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Charlottesville. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were about 236 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. After graduation, physical sciences degree recipients typically make about $28,682 in their early careers.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
275 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$41,551 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill if you wish to pursue a degree in physical sciences. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were about 275 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the physical sciences program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn $4,702 more than the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

4
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
50 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
2.0% Growth in Graduates

Wake Forest University is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in physical sciences. Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem. A Best Colleges rank of #128 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Wake Forest University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 50 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Wake Forest University in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn around $37,985 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Wake Forest University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
192 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
35.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #24 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Georgia Tech is a great school overall.

There were about 192 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program report average early career earnings of $34,598.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
362 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
18.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UF is a great university overall.

There were roughly 362 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn around $35,896 for their early career.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
149 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
2.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 29 schools for overall quality in the state of Louisiana.

There were approximately 149 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Louisiana State University in the most recent year we have data available. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College make $8,778 more than the average physical sciences graduate.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

8
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
146 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
17.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were about 146 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program report average early career wages of $27,623.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from William & Mary

9
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
212 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
3.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 212 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, physical sciences degree recipients usually earn an average of $31,205 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Virginia Tech

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
199 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
2.5% Growth in Graduates

NC State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Raleigh. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 199 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the physical sciences major at North Carolina State University earn $12,919 more than the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from North Carolina State University

Best Physical Sciences Colleges by State

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

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
North Carolina381,591
West Virginia38238
South Carolina38424
Florida381,496
Virginia381,474
Arkansas38370
Mississippi38518
Louisiana37473
Alabama37554
Kentucky37455
Georgia371,064
Tennessee37721

View All Rankings >

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
Chemistry4,991
Physics2,179
Geological & Earth Sciences1,611
General Physical Sciences221
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology210
Astronomy & Astrophysics176
Other Physical Science149
Materials Sciences48
Physics and Astronomy33

View All Physical Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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