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# Top Engineering Physics Programs in the United States (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in the United States](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges/)

This page ranks the 9 Engineering Physics programs in the United States by median earnings of Engineering Physics graduates four years after completing, highest first. [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) leads the list at $102,211, followed by [Colorado School of Mines](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/majors/) at $97,497 and [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) at $90,938.

Across the listed programs, median earnings range from $102,211 to $69,338, with a median of $86,713. For 1 of the 9 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

Public institutions account for 7 of the 9 programs, or 78%, and private nonprofits for 2. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks 35th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and Murray State University posts the lowest average net price on the list at $9,096.

## The ranked list

9 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $102,211 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
|  | [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) reports [median earnings of $102,211](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/outcomes/) for its Engineering Physics graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list, and ranks 35th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 2 | Colorado School of Mines · Golden, CO | $97,497 | $28,690 | $16,849 | 60.7% |
|  | [Colorado School of Mines](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/majors/) [admits 61% of applicants](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/admissions/) and its Engineering Physics graduates earn a median of $97,497 four years after completing. |
| 3 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $90,938 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) with a [median of $19,976](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) in federal loans, while its Engineering Physics completers reached median earnings of $90,938 four years after graduating. |
| 4 | Fordham University · Bronx, NY | $90,465 | $44,338 | $32,474 | 59.3% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in Bronx, [Fordham University](/school/fordham-university/majors/) has an [average net price of $44,338](/school/fordham-university/cost/) and its Engineering Physics graduates earn a median of $90,465 four years after completing. |
| 5 | Murray State University · Murray, KY | $86,713 | $9,096 | $6,242 | 85.7% |
|  | [Murray State University](/school/murray-state-university/majors/) carries the lowest average net price on the page at $9,096, and its Engineering Physics graduates earn a [median of $86,713](/school/murray-state-university/outcomes/) four years after completing. |
| 6 | Augustana College · Rock Island, IL | $85,993 | $22,736 | $15,787 | 62.7% |
|  | [Augustana College](/school/augustana-college/majors/) posts a [median of $85,993](/school/augustana-college/outcomes/) for its Engineering Physics graduates four years after completing, alongside a school-wide median federal debt of $27,000 for borrowers who completed. |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville · Platteville, WI | $85,901 | $16,032 | $9,009 | 89.4% |
|  | With an [admission rate of 89%](/school/university-of-wisconsin-platteville/admissions/), [University of Wisconsin-Platteville](/school/university-of-wisconsin-platteville/majors/) reports median earnings of $85,901 for its Engineering Physics graduates four years after completing. |
| 8 | Stephen F Austin State University · Nacogdoches, TX | $80,086 | $14,260 | $10,318 | 94.0% |
|  | [Stephen F Austin State University](/school/stephen-f-austin-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $80,086](/school/stephen-f-austin-state-university/outcomes/) for its Engineering Physics graduates four years after completing, with 15 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 9 | University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO | $69,338 | $25,346 | $14,231 | 78.1% |
|  | [University of Colorado Boulder](/school/university-of-colorado-boulder/majors/) reports [median earnings of $69,338](/school/university-of-colorado-boulder/outcomes/) for its Engineering Physics graduates four years after completing and ranks 174th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Engineering Physics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the United States appear. The figures represent federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled. For 1 of the 9 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or the characteristics of the students who enroll, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 9 schools with a published figure. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads Colorado School of Mines by $4,714, and the spread from the top to the bottom of the list is $32,873.

## Job market context in the United States

The occupations linked to Engineering Physics in the United States include roles such as Engineers, All Other. The median annual wage across those occupations is $121,540, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $91,723. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 3.2% higher, with 32,300 projected openings a year. That works out to about 5,055 openings a year for every hundred graduates, which means more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, while the market figures describe the occupations linked to the field; the two are not the same measure.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Engineering Colleges in the United States](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges/)
-   Engineering Colleges for Social Mobility