Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degrees
There are 1,348 schools in the United States where you can earn abachelor’s degree in Physical Sciences. In recent years, the majority of students earning degrees in this area were men, and about37% were students from underrepresented racial-ethnic groups. Also, 6.5% of Physical Sciences graduates were international students.
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Education Levels of Physical Sciences Majors
In the most recent reporting year, 46,659 students earned theirPhysical Sciences majors across all award levels. The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in Physical Sciences at each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Certificate | 27 |
| Associate’s Degree | 4,944 |
| Bachelor’s Degree (this page) | 27,177 |
| Master’s Degree | 8,014 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 6,497 |
Earnings of Physical Sciences Majors With Bachelor’s Degrees (All Award Levels)
The U.S. Department of Education reports a median salary for graduates with abachelor’s degree in Physical Sciences of $59,238 four years after graduation. These figures are reported program-wide, across all award levels.
This number may vary for many reasons. For instance, you may move to a location where people with your degree are rare and make more money.
| Years After Graduation | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $45,708 |
| 4 years | $59,238 |
| 5 years | $69,027 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker (program-wide, all award levels).
Student Debt (All Award Levels)
We do not have the data to calculate the median and range of debt loads for Physical Sciences students with their bachelor’s degree.
Student Diversity
This degree is more popular with male students. About 54.3% of graduates in this field are men.
| Gender | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Men | 14,754 |
| Women | 12,423 |
The racial-ethnic distribution of Physical Sciences graduates is as follows:
| Race / Ethnicity | Number of Grads | Share |
|---|---|---|
| White | 15,459 | 56.9% |
| Asian | 2,818 | 10.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,751 | 13.8% |
| Black or African American | 1,304 | 4.8% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 75 | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | 20 | 0.1% |
| Two or More Races | 1,318 | 4.8% |
| Race Unknown | 665 | 2.4% |
| International Students | 1,767 | 6.5% |
This degree is moderately popular with international students. Around 6.5% of graduates are in this category.
See the minority definition in the References below.
Most Popular Physical Sciences Programs for Bachelor’s Degrees
There are 1,557 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in Physical Sciences. Learn more about the most popular below:
University of California-Berkeley tops the list of the most popular schools in the U.S. for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 581 people received their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
University of Washington-Seattle Campus is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 505 bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
University of California-San Diego comes in at #3 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences. This school awarded 499 bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 467 bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of California-Los Angeles is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 460 people received their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of Wisconsin-Madison is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 443 bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of California-Santa Barbara is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 423 bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 392 bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
The University of Texas at Austin comes in at #9 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences. During the most recent year for which we have data, 389 people received their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Texas A&M University-College Station is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 383 people received their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of Arizona is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 373 bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of Florida is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 369 bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
University of Colorado Boulder is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 361 bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
University of California-Irvine comes in at #14 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences. During the most recent year for which we have data, 360 people received their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 354 people received their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
University of Chicago comes in at #16 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences. During the most recent year for which we have data, 345 people received their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Purdue University-Main Campus is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 338 people received their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Ohio State University-Main Campus comes in at #18 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences. This school awarded 331 bachelor's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Johns Hopkins University is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 325 people received their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
University of California-Santa Cruz is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 310 people received their bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Physical Sciences Focus Areas
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 19,434 |
| Physics | 12,910 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 7,622 |
| Physical Sciences, General | 2,661 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 1,580 |
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References
The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
More about our data sources and methodologies.