Best Colleges for Physics

Majoring in physics is an extraordinarily rigorous enterprise as it requires students to be strong in math, chemistry, and of course-physics itself. While some students elect to study straight physics, others opt for specific areas of concentration such as Mathematical Physics, Engineering Physics, Computational Physics, or Applied Physics. An undergraduate degree in physics can prepare students for careers in software design, design/laser/optical engineers, or web developers. Roughly 45% of those who earn a physics degree go on to earn a Master’s or Ph.D. in physics or a related STEM discipline. Whether planning to enter competitive industry or on applying to elite graduate programs, you’ll do well to explore College Transitions’ list of the Best Colleges for Physics.

Click the links below for more information about each college’s physics program. Click here to read our methodology.

Bowdoin College

Brandeis University

Brown University

California Institute of Technology

Carleton College

Carnegie Mellon University

Case Western Reserve University

Columbia University

Cornell University

Dartmouth College

Davidson College

Duke University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Grinnell College

Harvard University

Harvey Mudd College

Haverford College

Johns Hopkins University

Lawrence University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Northwestern University

Pomona College

Princeton University

Reed College

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rice University

Stanford University

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Santa Barbara

University of Chicago

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Maryland

University of Michigan

University of Notre Dame

University of Pennsylvania

University of Rochester

University of Texas at Austin

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin – Madison

Wesleyan University

Williams College

Yale University