Best Physics Programs in the Northeast (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Physics Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 27 Physics programs in the Northeast by median earnings of Physics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads the list at 1st with median earnings of $131,025 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $131,025 to $29,250, with a median of $74,200. The gap between the top two programs is $12,376.
The list is nearly evenly split between 14 public and 13 private nonprofit institutions. Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania posts the lowest average net price on the page at $15,699.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick ranks 30th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA | $131,025 | $20,111 | -$2,533* | 4.6% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology reports $131,025 in median earnings for its Physics graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 5%. | |||||
| 2 | Cornell University · Ithaca, NY | $118,649 | $28,690 | $1,776 | 8.8% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $14,000 in federal loans at Cornell University, which ranks 2nd on this list with earnings of $118,649. | |||||
| 3 | College of the Holy Cross · Worcester, MA | $99,165 | $38,782 | $14,343 | 17.6% |
| College of the Holy Cross posts median earnings of $99,165 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $38,782. | |||||
| 4 | Le Moyne College · Syracuse, NY | $99,009 | $22,277 | $14,535 | 83.0% |
| With an 8-graduate earnings cohort, Le Moyne College ranks 4th on this list and reports an admission rate of 83%. | |||||
| 5 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell · Lowell, MA | $91,438 | $17,163 | $9,943 | 83.0% |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell, a public university in Lowell, reports median earnings of $91,438 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Stockton University · Galloway, NJ | $86,849 | $20,670 | $15,135 | 88.9% |
| Stockton University ranks 6th on this list and reports an average net price of $20,670, with median earnings of $86,849 for its Physics graduates. | |||||
| 7 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Troy, NY | $81,840 | $36,228 | $24,078 | 63.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $23,750 in federal loans at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where Physics graduates earn a median of $81,840 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $81,763 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus reports median earnings of $81,763 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, and an admission rate of 61%. | |||||
| 9 | SUNY Oneonta · Oneonta, NY | $80,041 | $19,158 | $11,044 | 69.6% |
| SUNY Oneonta ranks 9th on this list, with an 8-graduate earnings cohort and median earnings of $80,041 for its Physics graduates. | |||||
| 10 | Seton Hall University · South Orange, NJ | $77,851 | $31,446 | $19,623 | 73.3% |
| Seton Hall University posts median earnings of $77,851 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $31,446. | |||||
| 11 | SUNY College at Geneseo · Geneseo, NY | $77,575 | $18,211 | $10,018 | 66.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $19,500 in federal loans at SUNY College at Geneseo, which ranks 11th on this list with earnings of $77,575. | |||||
| 12 | Rochester Institute of Technology · Rochester, NY | $75,281 | $34,906 | $24,680 | 66.9% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology reports median earnings of $75,281 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 67%. | |||||
| 13 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania · Kutztown, PA | $74,813 | $21,331 | $15,957 | 90.8% |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania reports median earnings of $74,813 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 91%. | |||||
| 14 | Northeastern University · Boston, MA | $74,200 | $30,915 | $2,264 | 5.2% |
| Northeastern University admits 5% of applicants and reports an average net price of $2,264 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 15 | University of Connecticut · Storrs, CT | $73,879 | $25,097 | $15,193 | 52.4% |
| University of Connecticut ranks 15th on this list and posts an average net price of $25,097. | |||||
| 16 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania · Bloomsburg, PA | $73,703 | $15,699 | $11,374 | 93.1% |
| With an admission rate of 93%, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania reports median earnings of $73,703 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Rowan University · Glassboro, NJ | $72,734 | $22,408 | $15,305 | 77.7% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Rowan University left with a median of $20,500 in federal loans, while the school's Physics completers earned a median of $72,734 four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst · Amherst, MA | $72,596 | $22,383 | $10,164 | 59.7% |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst reports an average net price of $10,164 for families earning under $30,000, and its Physics graduates earned a median of $72,596 four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | New York University · New York, NY | $69,334 | $37,050 | $16,977 | 9.2% |
| New York University admits 9% of applicants and reports median earnings of $69,334 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick · New Brunswick, NJ | $67,544 | $24,406 | $16,343 | 58.2% |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick holds the strongest Azimuth composite rank on this list, placing 30th among nonprofit four-year institutions, and reports median earnings of $67,544 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Siena University · Loudonville, NY | $66,865 | $33,733 | $26,417 | 69.0% |
| Siena University reports an average net price of $26,417 for families earning under $30,000, and its Physics completers earned a median of $66,865 four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | Stony Brook University · Stony Brook, NY | $65,013 | $18,784 | $12,943 | 49.0% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Stony Brook University left with a median of $18,228 in federal loans, while the school's Physics completers earned a median of $65,013 four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania · Indiana, PA | $64,837 | $16,804 | $12,364 | 90.8% |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania ranks 23rd on this list and reports an average net price of $16,804. | |||||
| 24 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus · Durham, NH | $53,358 | $23,805 | $16,523 | 88.2% |
| University of New Hampshire-Main Campus reports median earnings of $53,358 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 88%. | |||||
| 25 | Villanova University · Villanova, PA | $45,198 | $43,756 | $17,823 | 27.0% |
| Villanova University reports median earnings of $45,198 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 6. | |||||
| 26 | Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY | $38,289 | $21,590 | $4,570 | 4.0% |
| Columbia University in the City of New York admits 4% of applicants and carries an average net price of $4,570 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 27 | Ithaca College · Ithaca, NY | $29,250 | $33,926 | $21,901 | 69.0% |
| Ithaca College ranks 27th on this list and holds an Azimuth composite rank of 1290th among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Physics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Northeast appear. The figure captures federally aided completers of the Physics program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 5 of the 27 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 who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads Cornell University by $12,376, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $101,775.
Related rankings
- Best Physics Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the Northeast
- Top Physics Programs in the West by Earnings
- Best Physics Programs in the South
- Best Physics Programs in the Midwest
- Physical Sciences Colleges in the Northeast for Social Mobility
- Physical Sciences Colleges in the Northeast