by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2024, College Factual analyzed 117 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physical Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 5,726 doctor's degrees in physical sciences to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of physical sciences for getting your doctor's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their doctor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their doctor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for physical sciences students working on their doctor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Physical Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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 doctor'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.
It's hard to beat Stanford University if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from Stanford University
Northwestern University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a doctor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from Northwestern University
University of Chicago is a good decision for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in physical sciences. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of Chicago
University of California - Berkeley is one of the best schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of California - Berkeley
UCSB is a very large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of California - Santa Barbara
Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from Cornell University
Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of Maryland - College Park
UT Austin is a very large public university located in the large city of Austin.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from The University of Texas at Austin
Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from Johns Hopkins University
UCLA is a very large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of California - San Diego
Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of Notre Dame
UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Located in the midsize city of Pasadena, Caltech is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from California Institute of Technology
Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in physical sciences from Ohio State University - Main Campus
Learn about other programs related to Physical Sciences that might interest you.
Here are some additional great schools for Physical Sciences students that almost earned our Best Physical Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT |
| 19 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA |
| 20 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA |
| 21 | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Madison, WI |
| 22 | Northeastern University | Boston, MA |
| 23 | University of California - Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 24 | University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ |
| 25 | Emory University | Atlanta, GA |
View the Best Physical Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 2,721 |
| Physics | 1,752 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 734 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 170 |
| Materials Sciences | 144 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 125 |
| Other Physical Science | 34 |
| General Physical Sciences | 32 |
| Physics and Astronomy | 14 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Engineering | 10,936 |
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 7,594 |
| Agriculture & Agriculture Operations | 4,273 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 1,961 |
| Natural Resources & Conservation | 610 |
| Architecture & Related Services | 255 |
| Engineering Technologies | 203 |
