by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2024, College Factual analyzed 157 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 6,760 master's degrees in physical sciences during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The physical sciences master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality physical sciences program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for physical sciences students working on their master's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for physical sciences students seeking a a master's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Stanford University is a great choice for students pursuing a master's degree in physical sciences. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Stanford University
It is difficult to beat University of Chicago if you want to pursue a master's degree in physical sciences. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Chicago
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in physical sciences has to take a look at Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Johns Hopkins University
Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in physical sciences. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Northwestern University
Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Cornell University
Located in the large city of Chicago, Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Illinois Institute of Technology
Located in the city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Arizona
UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of California - Berkeley
Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Wisconsin - Madison
U-M is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Located in the medium-sized city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Texas A&M University - College Station
Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Notre Dame
Located in the suburb of Golden, Mines is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Colorado School of Mines
UCSD is a very large public university located in the city of La Jolla.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of California - San Diego
Located in the medium-sized city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Rochester
Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Pasadena.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from California Institute of Technology
Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from The University of Texas at Austin
Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from New York University
Located in the large city of Houston, UH is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Houston
Located in the suburb of Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Massachusetts Amherst
Learn about other programs related to Physical Sciences that might interest you.
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Northeastern University | Boston, MA |
| 27 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus | Seattle, WA |
| 28 | University of California - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 29 | University of Maryland - College Park | College Park, MD |
| 30 | Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester, NY |
| 31 | University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA |
| 24 | Ohio State University - Main Campus | Columbus, OH |
| 25 | University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT |
View the Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 2,246 |
| Physics | 1,949 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 1,663 |
| Materials Sciences | 270 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 213 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 187 |
| Other Physical Science | 148 |
| General Physical Sciences | 75 |
| Physics and Astronomy | 9 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Engineering | 48,049 |
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 19,635 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 12,658 |
| Engineering Technologies | 6,549 |
| Architecture & Related Services | 6,350 |
| Natural Resources & Conservation | 4,521 |
| Agriculture & Agriculture Operations | 2,949 |
| Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 1,035 |
| Science Technologies / Technicians | 66 |
