Spike Rankings 2027
Best Colleges for Physics and Chemistry in America
Strong colleges that graduate at least 25 students a year in Physics and Chemistry. How Spike ranks
How this list is ranked.
The Best Colleges score 75%, the size of the physics and chemistry program 25%.
151 colleges qualify from Spike’s guide of 233. At least 25 bachelor’s degrees a year in the field. Colleges without enough reported data are left out.
Guide updated . Data snapshot: . Sources and data years.
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151 colleges
Number 1: Massachusetts Institute of Technology- 111 grads a year in the field
- 96% graduate
- $153k after 10 years
Number 2: Harvard University- 145 grads a year in the field
- 97% graduate
- $122k after 10 years
Number 3: Princeton University- 78 grads a year in the field
- 97% graduate
- $134k after 10 years
Number 4: University of California-Berkeley- 345 grads a year in the field
- 93% graduate
- $100k after 10 years
Number 5: University of Chicago- 164 grads a year in the field
- 95% graduate
- $104k after 10 years
Number 6: Yale University- 65 grads a year in the field
- 96% graduate
- $118k after 10 years
Number 7: University of California-San Diego- 331 grads a year in the field
- 86% graduate
- $96k after 10 years
Number 8: Columbia University in the City of New York- 80 grads a year in the field
- 96% graduate
- $109k after 10 years
Number 9: University of California-Los Angeles- 208 grads a year in the field
- 93% graduate
- $89k after 10 years
Number 10: University of Pennsylvania- 100 grads a year in the field
- 97% graduate
- $122k after 10 years
Number 11: University of Florida- 245 grads a year in the field
- 92% graduate
- $78k after 10 years
Number 12: Stanford University- 77 grads a year in the field
- 92% graduate
- $125k after 10 years
Number 13: University of California-Irvine- 228 grads a year in the field
- 87% graduate
- $83k after 10 years
Number 14: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor- 201 grads a year in the field
- 93% graduate
- $93k after 10 years
Number 15: University of Virginia-Main Campus- 155 grads a year in the field
- 95% graduate
- $96k after 10 years
Number 16: Cornell University- 126 grads a year in the field
- 95% graduate
- $114k after 10 years
Number 17: University of California-Davis- 180 grads a year in the field
- 86% graduate
- $87k after 10 years
Number 18: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign- 230 grads a year in the field
- 86% graduate
- $88k after 10 years
Number 19: University of Maryland-College Park- 141 grads a year in the field
- 88% graduate
- $89k after 10 years
Number 20: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill- 179 grads a year in the field
- 91% graduate
- $81k after 10 years
Number 21: University of California-Santa Barbara- 351 grads a year in the field
- 83% graduate
- $83k after 10 years
Number 22: California Institute of Technology- 38 grads a year in the field
- 92% graduate
- $167k after 10 years
Number 23: The University of Texas at Austin- 242 grads a year in the field
- 89% graduate
- $82k after 10 years
Number 24: University of Washington-Seattle Campus- 358 grads a year in the field
- 85% graduate
- $83k after 10 years
Number 25: Emory University- 121 grads a year in the field
- 91% graduate
- $94k after 10 years
Number 26: Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus- 106 grads a year in the field
- 94% graduate
- $114k after 10 years
Number 27: University of Wisconsin-Madison- 199 grads a year in the field
- 90% graduate
- $80k after 10 years
Number 28: Carnegie Mellon University- 83 grads a year in the field
- 94% graduate
- $125k after 10 years
Number 29: Ohio State University-Main Campus- 201 grads a year in the field
- 87% graduate
- $67k after 10 years
Number 30: Dartmouth College- 58 grads a year in the field
- 95% graduate
- $111k after 10 years
Number 31: William & Mary- 104 grads a year in the field
- 89% graduate
- $83k after 10 years
Number 32: Duke University- 50 grads a year in the field
- 96% graduate
- $114k after 10 years
Number 33: Johns Hopkins University- 55 grads a year in the field
- 94% graduate
- $105k after 10 years
Number 34: Stony Brook University- 154 grads a year in the field
- 76% graduate
- $83k after 10 years
Number 35: Northwestern University- 59 grads a year in the field
- 96% graduate
- $104k after 10 years
Number 36: California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo- 103 grads a year in the field
- 86% graduate
- $96k after 10 years
Number 37: Texas A&M University-College Station- 207 grads a year in the field
- 84% graduate
- $78k after 10 years
Number 38: Vanderbilt University- 53 grads a year in the field
- 93% graduate
- $99k after 10 years
Number 39: Rutgers University-New Brunswick- 107 grads a year in the field
- 84% graduate
- $80k after 10 years
Number 40: Brown University- 62 grads a year in the field
- 96% graduate
- $100k after 10 years
Number 41: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University- 171 grads a year in the field
- 86% graduate
- $89k after 10 years
Number 42: Washington University in St Louis- 60 grads a year in the field
- 94% graduate
- $91k after 10 years
Number 43: Michigan State University- 168 grads a year in the field
- 81% graduate
- $74k after 10 years
Number 44: North Carolina State University at Raleigh- 109 grads a year in the field
- 85% graduate
- $78k after 10 years
Number 45: Rice University- 37 grads a year in the field
- 95% graduate
- $91k after 10 years
Number 46: Florida International University- 112 grads a year in the field
- 76% graduate
- $66k after 10 years
Number 47: University of Notre Dame- 44 grads a year in the field
- 95% graduate
- $113k after 10 years
Number 48: University of California-Riverside- 106 grads a year in the field
- 76% graduate
- $73k after 10 years
Number 49: University of Georgia- 83 grads a year in the field
- 89% graduate
- $77k after 10 years
Number 50: San Jose State University- 89 grads a year in the field
- 68% graduate
- $83k after 10 years
Number 51: CUNY Hunter College- 141 grads a year in the field
- 58% graduate
- $71k after 10 years
Number 52: Purdue University-Main Campus- 162 grads a year in the field
- 84% graduate
- $80k after 10 years
Number 53: Florida State University- 89 grads a year in the field
- 86% graduate
- $68k after 10 years
Number 54: University of Connecticut- 82 grads a year in the field
- 83% graduate
- $82k after 10 years
Number 55: University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus- 147 grads a year in the field
- 75% graduate
- $67k after 10 years
Number 56: University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus- 157 grads a year in the field
- 86% graduate
- $73k after 10 years
Number 57: Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus- 330 grads a year in the field
- 86% graduate
- $72k after 10 years
Number 58: San Diego State University- 129 grads a year in the field
- 77% graduate
- $73k after 10 years
Number 59: Boston University- 93 grads a year in the field
- 89% graduate
- $89k after 10 years
Number 60: California State University-Long Beach- 96 grads a year in the field
- 70% graduate
- $70k after 10 years
Number 61: Washington State University- 173 grads a year in the field
- 62% graduate
- $72k after 10 years
Number 62: University of Rochester- 66 grads a year in the field
- 84% graduate
- $88k after 10 years
Number 63: Indiana University-Bloomington- 88 grads a year in the field
- 80% graduate
- $70k after 10 years
Number 64: The University of Texas at Dallas- 75 grads a year in the field
- 77% graduate
- $75k after 10 years
Number 65: New York University- 87 grads a year in the field
- 88% graduate
- $91k after 10 years
Number 66: Arizona State University Campus Immersion- 167 grads a year in the field
- 68% graduate
- $69k after 10 years
Number 67: University of Missouri-Columbia- 106 grads a year in the field
- 76% graduate
- $70k after 10 years
Number 68: University of Southern California- 34 grads a year in the field
- 91% graduate
- $103k after 10 years
Number 69: Case Western Reserve University- 74 grads a year in the field
- 87% graduate
- $90k after 10 years
Number 70: University of Colorado Boulder- 230 grads a year in the field
- 74% graduate
- $78k after 10 years
Number 71: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute- 66 grads a year in the field
- 82% graduate
- $113k after 10 years
Number 72: University of Central Florida- 92 grads a year in the field
- 78% graduate
- $63k after 10 years
Number 73: Villanova University- 60 grads a year in the field
- 92% graduate
- $115k after 10 years
Number 74: California State University-Fullerton- 59 grads a year in the field
- 69% graduate
- $69k after 10 years
Number 75: Tufts University- 43 grads a year in the field
- 94% graduate
- $89k after 10 years
Number 76: University of Delaware- 59 grads a year in the field
- 79% graduate
- $84k after 10 years
Number 77: University of Iowa- 81 grads a year in the field
- 75% graduate
- $71k after 10 years
Number 78: Boston College- 32 grads a year in the field
- 90% graduate
- $112k after 10 years
Number 79: University of Houston- 74 grads a year in the field
- 65% graduate
- $68k after 10 years
Number 80: George Mason University- 60 grads a year in the field
- 67% graduate
- $80k after 10 years
Number 81: Lehigh University- 31 grads a year in the field
- 86% graduate
- $116k after 10 years
Number 82: College of the Holy Cross- 39 grads a year in the field
- 87% graduate
- $100k after 10 years
Number 83: Virginia Commonwealth University- 111 grads a year in the field
- 64% graduate
- $64k after 10 years
Number 84: James Madison University- 69 grads a year in the field
- 80% graduate
- $75k after 10 years
Number 85: Wake Forest University- 31 grads a year in the field
- 90% graduate
- $104k after 10 years
Number 86: California State University-Fresno- 52 grads a year in the field
- 58% graduate
- $63k after 10 years
Number 87: Iowa State University- 74 grads a year in the field
- 76% graduate
- $68k after 10 years
Number 88: Clemson University- 59 grads a year in the field
- 87% graduate
- $79k after 10 years
Number 89: Drexel University- 39 grads a year in the field
- 78% graduate
- $92k after 10 years
Number 90: University of Oregon- 73 grads a year in the field
- 71% graduate
- $67k after 10 years
Number 91: University of Utah- 120 grads a year in the field
- 66% graduate
- $73k after 10 years
Number 92: University of Kentucky- 67 grads a year in the field
- 72% graduate
- $64k after 10 years
Number 93: CUNY Brooklyn College- 42 grads a year in the field
- 53% graduate
- $67k after 10 years
Number 94: Rhodes College- 36 grads a year in the field
- 83% graduate
- $80k after 10 years
Number 95: University of South Carolina-Columbia- 72 grads a year in the field
- 79% graduate
- $69k after 10 years
Number 96: California State University-Northridge- 58 grads a year in the field
- 57% graduate
- $64k after 10 years
Number 97: Illinois State University- 65 grads a year in the field
- 66% graduate
- $68k after 10 years
Number 98: CUNY City College- 34 grads a year in the field
- 53% graduate
- $70k after 10 years
Number 99: Miami University-Oxford- 66 grads a year in the field
- 81% graduate
- $64k after 10 years
Number 100: University of Wyoming- 64 grads a year in the field
- 60% graduate
- $63k after 10 years
Number 101: University of Cincinnati-Main Campus- 86 grads a year in the field
- 75% graduate
- $61k after 10 years
Number 102: University of Kansas- 64 grads a year in the field
- 70% graduate
- $68k after 10 years
Number 103: Portland State University- 63 grads a year in the field
- 53% graduate
- $62k after 10 years
Number 104: Oregon State University- 83 grads a year in the field
- 69% graduate
- $68k after 10 years
Number 105: University of Miami- 43 grads a year in the field
- 84% graduate
- $84k after 10 years
Number 106: San Francisco State University- 44 grads a year in the field
- 50% graduate
- $73k after 10 years
Number 107: California State University-Sacramento- 42 grads a year in the field
- 55% graduate
- $69k after 10 years
Number 108: Creighton University- 27 grads a year in the field
- 83% graduate
- $81k after 10 years
Number 109: Worcester Polytechnic Institute- 25 grads a year in the field
- 90% graduate
- $114k after 10 years
Number 110: Rochester Institute of Technology- 68 grads a year in the field
- 70% graduate
- $85k after 10 years
Number 111: Mississippi State University- 89 grads a year in the field
- 68% graduate
- $54k after 10 years
Number 112: Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College- 86 grads a year in the field
- 68% graduate
- $64k after 10 years
Number 113: Temple University- 40 grads a year in the field
- 74% graduate
- $71k after 10 years
Number 114: Florida Atlantic University- 61 grads a year in the field
- 63% graduate
- $61k after 10 years
Number 115: Illinois Institute of Technology- 25 grads a year in the field
- 73% graduate
- $91k after 10 years
Number 116: Texas Tech University- 65 grads a year in the field
- 69% graduate
- $67k after 10 years
Number 117: Trinity University- 26 grads a year in the field
- 83% graduate
- $80k after 10 years
Number 118: University of Mississippi- 39 grads a year in the field
- 71% graduate
- $59k after 10 years
Number 119: Mount Holyoke College- 28 grads a year in the field
- 83% graduate
- $66k after 10 years
Number 120: College of Charleston- 90 grads a year in the field
- 66% graduate
- $63k after 10 years
Number 121: Occidental College- 26 grads a year in the field
- 80% graduate
- $80k after 10 years
Number 122: Missouri University of Science and Technology- 33 grads a year in the field
- 66% graduate
- $86k after 10 years
Number 123: The University of Texas at Arlington- 61 grads a year in the field
- 52% graduate
- $73k after 10 years
Number 124: University of Nebraska-Lincoln- 56 grads a year in the field
- 68% graduate
- $62k after 10 years
Number 125: Franklin and Marshall College- 30 grads a year in the field
- 81% graduate
- $81k after 10 years
Number 126: Auburn University- 54 grads a year in the field
- 82% graduate
- $73k after 10 years
Number 127: Butler University- 31 grads a year in the field
- 79% graduate
- $84k after 10 years
Number 128: University of New Hampshire-Main Campus- 33 grads a year in the field
- 76% graduate
- $71k after 10 years
Number 129: Colorado State University-Fort Collins- 62 grads a year in the field
- 67% graduate
- $67k after 10 years
Number 130: Syracuse University- 40 grads a year in the field
- 82% graduate
- $85k after 10 years
Number 131: The University of Texas at San Antonio- 65 grads a year in the field
- 52% graduate
- $61k after 10 years
Number 132: Ohio University-Main Campus- 60 grads a year in the field
- 65% graduate
- $62k after 10 years
Number 133: University of Rhode Island- 33 grads a year in the field
- 73% graduate
- $73k after 10 years
Number 134: University of North Florida- 34 grads a year in the field
- 69% graduate
- $60k after 10 years
Number 135: Kansas State University- 35 grads a year in the field
- 71% graduate
- $61k after 10 years
Number 136: University of Vermont- 31 grads a year in the field
- 80% graduate
- $68k after 10 years
Number 137: Boise State University- 73 grads a year in the field
- 61% graduate
- $60k after 10 years
Number 138: Whitman College- 28 grads a year in the field
- 78% graduate
- $71k after 10 years
Number 139: West Virginia University- 48 grads a year in the field
- 65% graduate
- $63k after 10 years
Number 140: Old Dominion University- 42 grads a year in the field
- 45% graduate
- $60k after 10 years
Number 141: Furman University- 33 grads a year in the field
- 76% graduate
- $70k after 10 years
Number 142: Montana State University- 79 grads a year in the field
- 58% graduate
- $60k after 10 years
Number 143: University of Louisville- 32 grads a year in the field
- 61% graduate
- $60k after 10 years
Number 144: University of New Mexico-Main Campus- 41 grads a year in the field
- 54% graduate
- $50k after 10 years
Number 145: University of Maine- 33 grads a year in the field
- 56% graduate
- $59k after 10 years
Number 146: Kent State University at Kent- 54 grads a year in the field
- 57% graduate
- $51k after 10 years
Number 147: Baylor University- 25 grads a year in the field
- 81% graduate
- $72k after 10 years
Number 148: Wichita State University- 27 grads a year in the field
- 52% graduate
- $56k after 10 years
Number 149: University of Idaho- 26 grads a year in the field
- 59% graduate
- $58k after 10 years
Number 150: Xavier University of Louisiana- 31 grads a year in the field
- 52% graduate
- $60k after 10 years
Number 151: The University of Montana- 28 grads a year in the field
- 48% graduate
- $49k after 10 years
How to use this ranking.
Check the physics or chemistry department you would actually join. Compare lab access, advanced courses and opportunities to work with faculty.
What the rank does not tell you.
This combines college-wide results with the number of degrees awarded in the field. It does not measure teaching quality or earnings in this major. A larger program is not automatically a better choice for you.
Spike ranks the colleges in its guide, not every college in America. Read the full method and its limits, or compare colleges by your own priorities.
What Spike does with this
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