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Physical Sciences Master's Degree

Physical Sciences Master’s Degrees

There are 1,348 schools in the United States where you can earn amaster’s degree in Physical Sciences. In recent years, the majority of students earning degrees in this area were men, and about25% were students from underrepresented racial-ethnic groups. Also, 28.8% of Physical Sciences graduates were international students.

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 (this page) 8,014
Doctor’s Degree 6,497

Earnings of Physical Sciences Majors With Master’s Degrees (All Award Levels)

The median salary for graduates holding amaster’s degree in Physical Sciences of $59,238 four years after graduation. These figures are reported program-wide, across all award levels.

A lot of factors can contribute to this number, such as the location of your workplace and the availability of other perks and bonuses.

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 master’s degree.

Student Diversity

More men than women pursue master’s degrees in Physical Sciences. About 57.8% of graduates in this field are men.

Gender Number of Grads
Men 4,300
Women 3,139
Gender Diversity of Master's Degrees in Physical Sciences

The racial-ethnic distribution of Physical Sciences graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity Number of Grads Share
White 3,432 46.1%
Asian 493 6.6%
Hispanic or Latino 695 9.3%
Black or African American 228 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 6 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 6 0.1%
Two or More Races 255 3.4%
Race Unknown 184 2.5%
International Students 2,140 28.8%
Racial-Ethnic Diversity of Physical Sciences Master's Degree Students

This degree is very popular with international students. Around 28.8% of graduates are in this category.

See the minority definition in the References below.

There are 1,557 colleges that offer a master’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 master's degree. This school awarded 581 master'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 Washington-Seattle Campus comes in at #2 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in Physical Sciences. This school awarded 505 master's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their master's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

University of California-San Diego comes in at #3 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in Physical Sciences. This school awarded 499 master'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.

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus comes in at #4 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in Physical Sciences. During the most recent year for which we have data, 467 people received their master'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-Los Angeles is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their master's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 460 people received their master'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 Wisconsin-Madison comes in at #6 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in Physical Sciences. During the most recent year for which we have data, 443 people received their master'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 master's degree. This school awarded 423 master's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their master'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 master's degree. This school awarded 392 master'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 is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their master's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 389 people received their master's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who complete their master's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

Texas A&M University-College Station comes in at #10 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in Physical Sciences. During the most recent year for which we have data, 383 people received their master's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who complete their master's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

#11

University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ

University of Arizona comes in at #11 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in Physical Sciences. This school awarded 373 master's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their master's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

#12

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

University of Florida is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their master's degree. This school awarded 369 master's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their master'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 master's degrees in Physical Sciences. This school awarded 361 master's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their master's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

University of California-Irvine is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their master's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 360 people received their master's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who complete their master's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their master's degree. This school awarded 354 master's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their master's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

#16

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

University of Chicago is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their master's degree. This school awarded 345 master's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their master's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

#17

Purdue University-Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN

Purdue University-Main Campus comes in at #17 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in Physical Sciences. During the most recent year for which we have data, 338 people received their master's degree in Physical Sciences from this school. Graduates who complete their master's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

Ohio State University-Main Campus comes in at #18 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in Physical Sciences. This school awarded 331 master's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their master's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

#19

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

Johns Hopkins University is a popular choice for Physical Sciences majors seeking their master's degree. This school awarded 325 master's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their master'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 master's degree. This school awarded 310 master's degrees in Physical Sciences in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their master's degree in Physical Sciences here go on to 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

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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