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# Best Physics Programs in the Northeast (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Regional list from [Best Physics Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-physics-programs/)

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](/school/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/majors/) 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

27 schools in list order

| 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](/school/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/majors/) reports [$131,025 in median earnings](/school/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/outcomes/) 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](/school/cornell-university/outcomes/) in federal loans at [Cornell University](/school/cornell-university/majors/), 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](/school/college-of-the-holy-cross/majors/) posts [median earnings of $99,165](/school/college-of-the-holy-cross/outcomes/) 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](/school/le-moyne-college/majors/) ranks 4th on this list and reports an [admission rate of 83%](/school/le-moyne-college/admissions/). |
| 5 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell · Lowell, MA | $91,438 | $17,163 | $9,943 | 83.0% |
|  | [University of Massachusetts-Lowell](/school/university-of-massachusetts-lowell/majors/), a public university in Lowell, reports [median earnings of $91,438](/school/university-of-massachusetts-lowell/outcomes/) for its Physics graduates four years after completing. |
| 6 | Stockton University · Galloway, NJ | $86,849 | $20,670 | $15,135 | 88.9% |
|  | [Stockton University](/school/stockton-university/majors/) ranks 6th on this list and reports an [average net price of $20,670,](/school/stockton-university/cost/) 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](/school/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute/outcomes/) in federal loans at [Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute](/school/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute/majors/), 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](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/majors/) reports [median earnings of $81,763](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) 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](/school/suny-oneonta/majors/) ranks 9th on this list, with an 8-graduate earnings cohort and [median earnings of $80,041](/school/suny-oneonta/outcomes/) 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](/school/suny-college-at-geneseo/outcomes/) in federal loans at [SUNY College at Geneseo](/school/suny-college-at-geneseo/majors/), 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](/school/rochester-institute-of-technology/majors/) reports [median earnings of $75,281](/school/rochester-institute-of-technology/outcomes/) 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](/school/kutztown-university-of-pennsylvania/majors/) reports [median earnings of $74,813](/school/kutztown-university-of-pennsylvania/outcomes/) 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](/school/northeastern-university/majors/) [admits 5% of applicants](/school/northeastern-university/admissions/) 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](/school/university-of-connecticut/majors/) ranks 15th on this list and posts an [average net price of $25,097](/school/university-of-connecticut/cost/). |
| 16 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania · Bloomsburg, PA | $73,703 | $15,699 | $11,374 | 93.1% |
|  | With an [admission rate of 93%](/school/commonwealth-university-of-pennsylvania/admissions/), [Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania](/school/commonwealth-university-of-pennsylvania/majors/) 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](/school/rowan-university/majors/) left with a [median of $20,500](/school/rowan-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-massachusetts-amherst/majors/) reports an [average net price of $10,164](/school/university-of-massachusetts-amherst/cost/) 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](/school/new-york-university/majors/) [admits 9% of applicants](/school/new-york-university/admissions/) 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](/school/rutgers-university-new-brunswick/majors/) holds the strongest Azimuth composite rank on this list, placing 30th among nonprofit four-year institutions, and reports [median earnings of $67,544](/school/rutgers-university-new-brunswick/outcomes/) 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](/school/stony-brook-university/majors/) left with a [median of $18,228](/school/stony-brook-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/indiana-university-of-pennsylvania/majors/) ranks 23rd on this list and reports an [average net price of $16,804](/school/indiana-university-of-pennsylvania/cost/). |
| 24 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus · Durham, NH | $53,358 | $23,805 | $16,523 | 88.2% |
|  | [University of New Hampshire-Main Campus](/school/university-of-new-hampshire-main-campus/majors/) reports [median earnings of $53,358](/school/university-of-new-hampshire-main-campus/outcomes/) 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](/school/villanova-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $45,198](/school/villanova-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/majors/) [admits 4% of applicants](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/admissions/) 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](/school/ithaca-college/majors/) ranks 27th on this list and holds an [Azimuth composite rank of 1290th](/school/ithaca-college/) 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](/rankings/best-physics-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the Northeast](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-northeast/)
-   [Top Physics Programs in the West by Earnings](/rankings/best-physics-programs-in-the-west/)
-   [Best Physics Programs in the South](/rankings/best-physics-programs-in-the-south/)
-   [Best Physics Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-physics-programs-in-the-midwest/)
-   Physical Sciences Colleges in the Northeast for Social Mobility
-   Physical Sciences Colleges in the Northeast