Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degrees
There are 1,348 schools in the United States where you can earn adoctor’s degree in Physical Sciences. In recent years, the majority of students earning degrees in this area were men, and about20% were students from underrepresented racial-ethnic groups. Also, 39.8% of Physical Sciences graduates were international students.
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Education Levels of Physical Sciences Majors
During the most recent year for which data is available, 46,659 people 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 | 27,177 |
| Master’s Degree | 8,014 |
| Doctor’s Degree (this page) | 6,497 |
Earnings of Physical Sciences Majors With Doctor’s Degrees (All Award Levels)
The U.S. Department of Education reports a median salary for graduates with adoctor’s degree in Physical Sciences of $59,238 four years after graduation. These figures are reported program-wide, across all award levels.
However, this can depend on a number of factors, such as where you live and the number of years of experience you have.
| 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 doctor’s degree.
Student Diversity
More men than women pursue doctor’s degrees in Physical Sciences. About 62.7% of graduates in this field are men.
| Gender | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Men | 4,071 |
| Women | 2,426 |
The racial-ethnic distribution of Physical Sciences graduates is as follows:
| Race / Ethnicity | Number of Grads | Share |
|---|---|---|
| White | 2,644 | 40.7% |
| Asian | 417 | 6.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 407 | 6.3% |
| Black or African American | 126 | 1.9% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 6 | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.0% |
| Two or More Races | 139 | 2.1% |
| Race Unknown | 171 | 2.6% |
| International Students | 2,585 | 39.8% |
This degree is very popular with international students. Around 39.8% of graduates are in this category.
See the minority definition in the References below.
Most Popular Physical Sciences Programs for Doctor’s Degrees
There are 1,557 colleges that offer a doctor’s degree in Physical Sciences. Learn more about the most popular below:
The most popular school in the United States for Physical Sciences students seeking a doctor's degree is University of California-Berkeley. This school awarded 581 doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their doctor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of Washington-Seattle Campus comes in at #2 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences. During the most recent year for which we have data, 505 people received their doctor'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-San Diego is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their doctor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 499 people received their doctor's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who complete their doctor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus comes in at #4 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences. This school awarded 467 doctor'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-Los Angeles is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their doctor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 460 people received their doctor's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who complete their doctor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of Wisconsin-Madison comes in at #6 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences. During the most recent year for which we have data, 443 people received their doctor'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 Barbara is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their doctor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 423 people received their doctor'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 Michigan-Ann Arbor comes in at #8 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences. This school awarded 392 doctor'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 doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences. During the most recent year for which we have data, 389 people received their doctor's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who complete their doctor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Texas A&M University-College Station is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their doctor's degree. This school awarded 383 doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their doctor'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 doctor's degree. This school awarded 373 doctor'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 Florida comes in at #12 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences. This school awarded 369 doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their doctor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of Colorado Boulder comes in at #13 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences. This school awarded 361 doctor'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 doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences. During the most recent year for which we have data, 360 people received their doctor'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 comes in at #15 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences. This school awarded 354 doctor'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 Chicago is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their doctor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 345 people received their doctor'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 comes in at #17 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences. During the most recent year for which we have data, 338 people received their doctor'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 doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences. This school awarded 331 doctor'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.
Johns Hopkins University is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their doctor's degree. This school awarded 325 doctor's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their doctor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of California-Santa Cruz is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their doctor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 310 people received their doctor's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who complete their doctor's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Physical Sciences Concentrations
| 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.
