Physics Bachelor’s Degrees
There are 812 colleges and universities across the nation that offer abachelor’s degree in Physics. In recent years, the majority of students earning degrees in this area were men, and about33% were students from underrepresented racial-ethnic groups. Also, 11.5% of Physics graduates were international students.
Featured schools near , edit
Education Levels of Physics Majors
During the most recent year for which data is available, 12,910 people earned theirPhysics majors across all award levels. The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in Physics at each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Associate’s Degree | 1,493 |
| Bachelor’s Degree (this page) | 7,123 |
| Master’s Degree | 2,380 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 1,914 |
Earnings of Physics 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 Physics of $75,002 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 | $50,456 |
| 4 years | $75,002 |
| 5 years | $86,291 |
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 estimate the median debt for graduates with this degree.
Student Diversity
More men than women pursue bachelor’s degrees in Physics. About 74.5% of graduates in this field are men.
| Gender | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Men | 5,304 |
| Women | 1,819 |
The racial-ethnic distribution of Physics graduates is as follows:
| Race / Ethnicity | Number of Grads | Share |
|---|---|---|
| White | 3,929 | 55.2% |
| Asian | 654 | 9.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 895 | 12.6% |
| Black or African American | 230 | 3.2% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 11 | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.0% |
| Two or More Races | 370 | 5.2% |
| Race Unknown | 212 | 3.0% |
| International Students | 819 | 11.5% |
This degree is very popular with international students. Around 11.5% of graduates are in this category.
See the minority definition in the References below.
Most Popular Physics Programs for Bachelor’s Degrees
There are 959 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in Physics. Learn more about the most popular below:
The most popular school in the United States for Physics students seeking a bachelor's degree is University of California-Santa Barbara. During the most recent year for which we have data, 213 people received their bachelor's degree in Physics from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
University of California-Berkeley comes in at #2 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Physics. During the most recent year for which we have data, 174 people received their bachelor's degree in Physics from this school. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physics here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of Arizona comes in at #3 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Physics. This school awarded 166 bachelor's degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physics here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of Washington-Seattle Campus is a popular choice for Physics majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 166 bachelor's degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physics here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
New York University comes in at #5 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Physics. During the most recent year for which we have data, 157 people received their bachelor's degree in Physics from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
University of Colorado Boulder comes in at #6 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Physics. This school awarded 152 bachelor's degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physics here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of California-Los Angeles comes in at #7 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Physics. This school awarded 150 bachelor's degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physics here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
The University of Texas at Austin is a popular choice for Physics majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 133 bachelor's degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physics here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of Wisconsin-Madison comes in at #9 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Physics. This school awarded 128 bachelor's degrees in Physics 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 comes in at #10 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Physics. During the most recent year for which we have data, 121 people received their bachelor's degree in Physics from this school. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physics here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
Ohio State University-Main Campus is a popular choice for Physics majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 120 people received their bachelor's degree in Physics from this school. 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 Physics majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 120 bachelor's degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physics here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of California-San Diego is a popular choice for Physics majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 117 people received their bachelor's degree in Physics from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Harvard University is a popular choice for Physics majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 113 bachelor's degrees in Physics 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 Rochester is a popular choice for Physics majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 113 people received their bachelor's degree in Physics 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 is a popular choice for Physics majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 111 people received their bachelor's degree in Physics from this school. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physics here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of Maryland-College Park is a popular choice for Physics majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 110 bachelor's degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their bachelor's degree in Physics here go on to a median salary of $40,669.
University of Pennsylvania is a popular choice for Physics majors seeking their bachelor's degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 109 people received their bachelor's degree in Physics from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology comes in at #19 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in Physics. During the most recent year for which we have data, 102 people received their bachelor's degree in Physics from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
University of California-Irvine is a popular choice for Physics majors seeking their bachelor's degree. This school awarded 98 bachelor's degrees in Physics in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.
Physics Focus Areas
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Physics, General | 11,944 |
| Physics, Other | 482 |
| Optics/Optical Sciences | 249 |
| Acoustics | 175 |
| Theoretical and Mathematical Physics | 37 |
Explore Physics by State
Alabama
California
District of Columbia
Idaho
Kansas
Maryland
Mississippi
Nevada
New York
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Utah
West Virginia
Alaska
Colorado
Florida
Illinois
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Missouri
New Hampshire
North Carolina
Oregon
South Dakota
Vermont
Wisconsin
Related Majors
Below are some popular majors similar to Physics that also offer bachelor’s degrees.
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 19,434 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 7,622 |
| Physical Sciences, General | 2,661 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 1,580 |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | 1,341 |
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.