Best Physics Programs in the South (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Physics Programs in the United States
This page lists the 36 Physics programs in the South with a published earnings cohort, ordered by the median earnings of Physics graduates four years after completing. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $103,477 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs the figure ranges from $103,477 to $25,967, with a median of $73,152. For 8 of the 36 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 94% of the list, with 34 public and 2 private programs. University of Florida posts the lowest average net price among the group at $6,541.
The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 8th 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 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC | $103,477 | $11,655 | $2,004 | 15.3% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reports median earnings of $103,477 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 15%. | |||||
| 2 | George Mason University · Fairfax, VA | $96,138 | $17,915 | $11,942 | 87.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at George Mason University left with a median of $19,500 in federal loans, and the school's Physics graduates earn $96,138 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $92,826 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station admits 57% of applicants and its Physics completers earn a median of $92,826 four years after graduating. | |||||
| 4 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $92,746 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
| With a median of $92,746 four years after completing, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ranks 4th on this list and carries an average net price of $24,953. | |||||
| 5 | University of Maryland-College Park · College Park, MD | $90,900 | $15,678 | $2,962 | 44.8% |
| University of Maryland-College Park posts median earnings of $90,900 for its Physics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $2,962 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 6 | Towson University · Towson, MD | $90,457 | $17,413 | $6,962 | 82.0% |
| Towson University ranks 6th on this list, with a median of $90,457 four years after completing and a cohort of 13 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 7 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte · Charlotte, NC | $89,944 | $15,435 | $10,357 | 79.6% |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte reports median federal debt of $28,000 among Physics completers who borrowed, alongside earnings of $89,944 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Southern Arkansas University Main Campus · Magnolia, AR | $89,685 | $14,027 | $13,187 | 75.3% |
| Southern Arkansas University Main Campus shows median earnings of $89,685 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 75%. | |||||
| 9 | West Virginia Wesleyan College · Buckhannon, WV | $89,430 | $18,083 | $12,611 | 93.3% |
| A private nonprofit university, West Virginia Wesleyan College reports median earnings of $89,430 for its Physics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $18,083. | |||||
| 10 | University of Houston · Houston, TX | $86,078 | $14,276 | $10,929 | 73.9% |
| University of Houston ranks 13th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Physics graduates earn a median of $86,078 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Georgia College & State University · Milledgeville, GA | $85,089 | $20,686 | $15,396 | 78.2% |
| Georgia College & State University reports median earnings of $85,089 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $15,396 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 12 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus · Atlanta, GA | $82,431 | $12,116 | $7,666 | 14.1% |
| An admission rate of 14% coincides with median earnings of $82,431 four years after completing for Physics graduates at Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus. | |||||
| 13 | Appalachian State University · Boone, NC | $82,399 | $16,836 | $9,325 | 90.1% |
| Reporting median earnings of $82,399 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, Appalachian State University posts an average net price of $16,836. | |||||
| 14 | Salisbury University · Salisbury, MD | $79,158 | $17,743 | $6,743 | 87.5% |
| At Salisbury University, a median federal debt of $20,325 among Physics completers who borrowed coincides with median earnings of $79,158 for Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | William & Mary · Williamsburg, VA | $77,863 | $19,096 | $3,106 | 34.1% |
| With an admission rate of 34%, William & Mary reports median earnings of $77,863 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Virginia Commonwealth University · Richmond, VA | $77,737 | $23,433 | $17,512 | 92.6% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University posts an average net price of $17,512 for families earning under $30,000 and reports median earnings of $77,737 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $74,738 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
| The University of Texas at Austin ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $74,738 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of Delaware · Newark, DE | $74,475 | $17,799 | $10,901 | 70.6% |
| University of Delaware reports median earnings of $74,475 for its Physics graduates four years after completing and a median federal debt of $26,572 among Physics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 19 | The University of Texas at Arlington · Arlington, TX | $71,830 | $13,951 | $11,893 | 79.9% |
| The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 8th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $71,830 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN | $69,192 | $13,359 | $9,289 | 69.1% |
| A public university in Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University posts an average net price of $13,359 and a school-wide median federal debt of $20,000 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 21 | University of South Florida · Tampa, FL | $68,967 | $9,812 | $4,122 | 43.2% |
| Ranking 21st on this list, University of South Florida reports median earnings of $68,967 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | University of Florida · Gainesville, FL | $68,682 | $6,541 | $1,982 | 24.2% |
| The lowest average net price on the page, $6,541, belongs to University of Florida, where Physics graduates earned a median of $68,682 four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Texas State University · San Marcos, TX | $65,217 | $16,805 | $12,715 | 89.3% |
| Admitting 89% of applicants, Texas State University reports median earnings of $65,217 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | University of North Florida · Jacksonville, FL | $64,413 | $10,154 | $6,647 | 53.2% |
| University of North Florida posts an average net price of $6,647 for families earning under $30,000 and reports median earnings of $64,413 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Morehead State University · Morehead, KY | $62,865 | $9,793 | $7,150 | 77.2% |
| Morehead State University reports median earnings of $62,865 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $9,793. | |||||
| 26 | Georgia State University · Atlanta, GA | $60,393 | $15,931 | $13,787 | 55.4% |
| Georgia State University ranks 44th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows a median federal debt of $21,859 among Physics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 27 | The University of Texas at Dallas · Richardson, TX | $57,318 | $18,267 | $12,814 | 65.1% |
| With an admission rate of 65%, The University of Texas at Dallas posts median earnings of $57,318 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | University of Arkansas · Fayetteville, AR | $57,318 | $18,209 | $14,319 | 74.3% |
| University of Arkansas lists an average net price of $18,209 and median earnings of $57,318 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 29 | University of Virginia-Main Campus · Charlottesville, VA | $52,289 | $21,565 | $8,174 | 16.8% |
| An average net price of $8,174 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with median earnings of $52,289 for Physics graduates four years after completing at University of Virginia-Main Campus. | |||||
| 30 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC | $51,590 | $17,303 | $6,382 | 41.7% |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh shows a median federal debt of $22,710 among Physics completers who borrowed, combined with median earnings of $51,590 four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | Florida State University · Tallahassee, FL | $50,231 | $11,297 | $5,938 | 24.2% |
| Florida State University ranks 65th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and carries an average net price of $11,297. | |||||
| 32 | James Madison University · Harrisonburg, VA | $47,260 | $23,322 | $11,444 | 71.5% |
| James Madison University reports median earnings of $47,260 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $11,444 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 33 | The University of Texas at San Antonio · San Antonio, TX | $42,790 | $10,836 | $7,870 | 86.8% |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio ranks 34th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows a median federal debt of $25,000 among Physics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 34 | University of Central Florida · Orlando, FL | $38,289 | $10,411 | $5,816 | 40.1% |
| University of Central Florida posts median earnings of $38,289 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 40%. | |||||
| 35 | Bridgewater College · Bridgewater, VA | $29,685 | $17,800 | $13,283 | 91.7% |
| A private nonprofit institution, Bridgewater College reports median earnings of $29,685 for its Physics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $17,800. | |||||
| 36 | University of North Texas · Denton, TX | $25,967 | $15,649 | $12,311 | 72.2% |
| University of North Texas lists an average net price of $12,311 for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $25,967 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
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 South appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. For 8 of the 36 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. The gap between first and second is $7,339, with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at $103,477 and George Mason University at $96,138.
Related rankings
- Best Physics Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the South
- Top Physics Programs in the West by Earnings
- Best Physics Programs in the Midwest
- Best Physics Programs in the Northeast
- Physical Sciences Colleges in the South for Social Mobility
- Physical Sciences Colleges in the South