Best Physics Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the United States
This page ranks the 118 Physics programs in the United States by the median earnings of Physics graduates four years after completing. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads the list with median earnings of $131,025 four years after completing.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $74,986, with a range from $131,025 to $25,967. For 25 of the 118 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 91 of the programs, while 27 are private nonprofit schools. California State University-San Bernardino reports the lowest average net price on the list at $4,564.
University of California-San Diego ranks 1st 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 of Physics graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 5%. | |||||
| 2 | Cornell University · Ithaca, NY | $118,649 | $28,690 | $1,776 | 8.8% |
| Cornell University ranks 2nd on this list, with an average net price of $1,776 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 3 | University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN | $110,029 | $26,780 | $7,244 | 11.3% |
| University of Notre Dame reports a median federal debt of $21,500 among Physics completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $110,029 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC | $103,477 | $11,655 | $2,004 | 15.3% |
| An admission rate of 15% and median earnings of $103,477 four years after completing are reported by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. | |||||
| 5 | Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR | $103,167 | $19,604 | $12,107 | 77.3% |
| Oregon State University posts median earnings of $103,167 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 20 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 6 | Whitworth University · Spokane, WA | $99,842 | $26,534 | $16,788 | 89.8% |
| Whitworth University admits 90% of applicants and reports an average net price of $26,534. | |||||
| 7 | College of the Holy Cross · Worcester, MA | $99,165 | $38,782 | $14,343 | 17.6% |
| College of the Holy Cross carries a median federal debt of $27,000 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, and its Physics graduates earn a median of $99,165 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Le Moyne College · Syracuse, NY | $99,009 | $22,277 | $14,535 | 83.0% |
| Le Moyne College ranks 8th on this list and reports an average net price of $14,535 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 9 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $96,805 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo reports median earnings of $96,805 for its Physics graduates four years after completing and a median federal debt of $23,886 among Physics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 10 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $96,215 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine ranks 12th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts an admission rate of 29%. | |||||
| 11 | George Mason University · Fairfax, VA | $96,138 | $17,915 | $11,942 | 87.5% |
| George Mason University reports median earnings of $96,138 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $17,915. | |||||
| 12 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $96,043 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley admits 11% of applicants and reports a median federal debt of $15,000 among Physics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 13 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $95,018 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| Ranks 13th on this list, University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports $95,018 in median earnings for Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $94,543 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Admitting 61% of applicants, Ohio State University-Main Campus shows median earnings of $94,543 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $92,826 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station reports median federal debt of $19,500 among Physics completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $92,826 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $92,746 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, a public university in Blacksburg, shows median earnings of $92,746 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $92,293 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor posts an average net price of $1,043 for families earning under $30,000, and its Physics graduates earn a median of $92,293 four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell · Lowell, MA | $91,438 | $17,163 | $9,943 | 83.0% |
| With a cohort of 15 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of Massachusetts-Lowell ranks 18th on this list and reports median earnings of $91,438. | |||||
| 19 | University of Maryland-College Park · College Park, MD | $90,900 | $15,678 | $2,962 | 44.8% |
| University of Maryland-College Park reports median federal debt of $19,500 among Physics completers who borrowed, and its graduates earn a median of $90,900 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Towson University · Towson, MD | $90,457 | $17,413 | $6,962 | 82.0% |
| Towson University admits 82% of applicants and ranks 114th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 21 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte · Charlotte, NC | $89,944 | $15,435 | $10,357 | 79.6% |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte shows median earnings of $89,944 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $15,435. | |||||
| 22 | Southern Arkansas University Main Campus · Magnolia, AR | $89,685 | $14,027 | $13,187 | 75.3% |
| Southern Arkansas University Main Campus ranks 22nd on this list, and its Physics completers who borrowed left with a median federal debt of $22,250. | |||||
| 23 | Willamette University · Salem, OR | $89,506 | $25,121 | $16,182 | 77.1% |
| Willamette University, a private nonprofit university in Salem, reports median earnings of $89,506 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | West Virginia Wesleyan College · Buckhannon, WV | $89,430 | $18,083 | $12,611 | 93.3% |
| West Virginia Wesleyan College posts an average net price of $12,611 for families earning under $30,000, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $27,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 25 | University of Arizona · Tucson, AZ | $88,207 | $16,674 | $13,353 | 86.1% |
| University of Arizona reports median earnings of $88,207 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, with 43 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
* 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 United States appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 25 of the 118 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 Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cornell University is $12,376, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $105,058.
Related rankings
- Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the United States
- Physical Sciences Colleges for Social Mobility