Best Physics colleges in the U.S. 2025

Many people define the study of physics as the study of the entire universe. Imagine understanding the world in all of its complexity and learning all about the elements that blueprint the world as we know it. Pretty cool, right?

Typically, students who study this field continue on to earn their master’s or doctoral degrees and usually pursue careers in research. Research can be found in many areas, such as automotive and aerospace, education, energy, public sector, healthcare, technology, or computing and IT. If physics has piqued your interest, consider starting your physics degree today.

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Best Physics colleges in the U.S. for 2025

Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers 3 Physics, General degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2023, 131 Physics, General students graduated with students earning 79 Bachelor's degrees, and 52 Doctoral degrees.

Cornell University
Ithaca, NY

Cornell University offers 3 Physics, General degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2023, 97 Physics, General students graduated with students earning 48 Bachelor's degrees, 29 Doctoral degrees, and 20 Master's degrees.

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University of California-Santa Barbara offers 3 Physics, General degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a midsize suburb. In 2023, 244 Physics, General students graduated with students earning 183 Bachelor's degrees, 34 Doctoral degrees, and 27 Master's degrees.

Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA

Lehigh University offers 3 Physics, General degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2023, 18 Physics, General students graduated with students earning 7 Doctoral degrees, 6 Bachelor's degrees, and 5 Master's degrees.

University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN

University of Notre Dame offers 3 Physics, General degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2023, 54 Physics, General students graduated with students earning 31 Bachelor's degrees, 14 Doctoral degrees, and 9 Master's degrees.

Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA

Boston College offers 3 Physics, General degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2023, 20 Physics, General students graduated with students earning 8 Bachelor's degrees, 8 Master's degrees, and 4 Doctoral degrees.

University of California-Berkeley offers 3 Physics, General degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2023, 167 Physics, General students graduated with students earning 110 Bachelor's degrees, 39 Doctoral degrees, and 18 Master's degrees.

University of California-San Diego offers 3 Physics, General degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2023, 68 Physics, General students graduated with students earning 37 Bachelor's degrees, 17 Doctoral degrees, and 14 Master's degrees.

University of Washington-Seattle Campus offers 3 Physics, General degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2023, 173 Physics, General students graduated with students earning 125 Bachelor's degrees, 28 Master's degrees, and 20 Doctoral degrees.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offers 3 Physics, General degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2023, 46 Physics, General students graduated with students earning 35 Bachelor's degrees, 6 Master's degrees, and 5 Doctoral degrees.

List of all Physics colleges in the U.S.

School Average Tuition Student Teacher Ratio Enrolled Students
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Logo Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA
5/5
9 : 1 11,920
Cornell University Logo Cornell University Ithaca, NY
5/5
13 : 1 26,264
University of California-Santa Barbara Logo University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
3/5
24 : 1 26,068
Lehigh University Logo Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
5/5
13 : 1 7,590
University of Notre Dame Logo University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN
5/5
10 : 1 13,174