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2024 Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia

10 Colleges in Virginia
1,479 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$32,871 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.

College Factual looked at 10 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,479 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 Virginia Your choice of physical sciences school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

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 Virginia ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. 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 Virginia

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 Virginia Schools in Physical Sciences

1
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 best schools in the country for getting a degree in physical sciences. University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the 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 approximately 236 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program state that they receive average early career wages of $28,682.

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

2
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
146 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
17.8% Growth in Graduates

William & Mary is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in physical sciences. Located in the suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a medium-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 roughly 146 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the physical sciences program earn around $27,623 in their early career salary.

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

3
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
212 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
3.3% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in physical sciences needs to look into Virginia Tech. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 colleges 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. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program report average early career income of $31,205.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Virginia Tech

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
136 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$38,592 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Virginia Commonwealth University if you want to pursue a degree in physical sciences. Located in the medium-sized city of Richmond, VCU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 136 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent year we have data available. Physical Sciences degree recipients from Virginia Commonwealth University earn a boost of around $5,721 over the average earnings of physical sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
128 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
25.8% Growth in Graduates

GMU is a very large public university located in the suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were about 128 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available. Physical Sciences degree recipients from George Mason University get an earnings boost of about $4,241 above the average earnings of physical sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from George Mason University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$39,297 Median Starting Salary

CNU is a small public university located in the midsize city of Newport News. This university ranks 17th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 33 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at CNU in the most recent data year. Those physical sciences students who get their degree from Christopher Newport University make $6,426 more than the standard physical sciences student.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Christopher Newport University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
11.7% Growth in Graduates

UMW is a small public university located in the suburb of Fredericksburg. This university ranks 21st out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 60 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at UMW in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the physical sciences program make around $25,166 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from University of Mary Washington

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
132 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$21,038 Median Starting Salary

RBC is a small public college located in the rural area of South Prince George. This college ranks 18th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 132 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at RBC in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, physical sciences degree recipients usually earn about $21,038 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Richard Bland College of William and Mary

9
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Physical Sciences Degrees Awarded
$28,747 Median Starting Salary

JMU is a very large public university located in the city of Harrisonburg. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 83 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program state that they receive average early career income of $28,747.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from James Madison University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$34,461 Median Starting Salary
$22,500 Median Student Debt

Radford is a moderately-sized public university located in the small suburb of Radford. This university ranks 23rd out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 26 physical sciences students who graduated with this degree at Radford in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the physical sciences program state that they receive average early career income of $34,461.

More information about a degree in physical sciences from Radford University

Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

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

View All Rankings >

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
Chemistry657
Physics419
Geological & Earth Sciences145
General Physical Sciences132
Other Physical Science53
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology34
Astronomy & Astrophysics32
Materials Sciences7

View All Physical Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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