Physics

Ranked in 2014 | Physics Rankings Methodology

Graduate schools for physics typically offer a range of specialty programs, from quantum physics to relativity, as well as plentiful research opportunities to bolster a science education. These are the best physics schools. Each school's score reflects its average rating on a scale from 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding), based on a survey of academics at peer institutions.

Specialty
Rank School name Score
#1
Overall Score:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Cambridge, MA

5.0
#2Tie
Overall Score:
California Institute of Technology 

Pasadena, CA

4.9
#2Tie
Overall Score:
Harvard University 

Cambridge, MA

4.9
#2Tie
Overall Score:
Princeton University 

Princeton, NJ

4.9
#2Tie
Overall Score:
Stanford University 

Stanford, CA

4.9
#2Tie
Overall Score:
University of California—​Berkeley 

Berkeley, CA

4.9
#7Tie
Overall Score:
Cornell University 

Ithaca, NY

4.7
#7Tie
Overall Score:
University of Chicago 

Chicago, IL

4.7
#9
Overall Score:
University of Illinois—​Urbana-​Champaign 

Urbana, IL

4.6
#10
Overall Score:
University of California—​Santa Barbara 

Santa Barbara, CA

4.5
#11Tie
Overall Score:
Columbia University 

New York, NY

4.3
#11Tie
Overall Score:
University of Michigan—​Ann Arbor 

Ann Arbor, MI

4.3
#11Tie
Overall Score:
Yale University 

New Haven, CT

4.3
#14Tie
Overall Score:
University of Maryland—​College Park 

College Park, MD

4.2
#14Tie
Overall Score:
University of Texas—​Austin 

Austin, TX

4.2
#16Tie
Overall Score:
University of California—​San Diego 

La Jolla, CA

4.1
#16Tie
Overall Score:
University of Pennsylvania 

Philadelphia, PA

4.1
#18Tie
Overall Score:
Johns Hopkins University (Rowland) 

Baltimore, MD

4.0
#18Tie
Overall Score:
University of California—​Los Angeles 

Los Angeles, CA

4.0
#18Tie
Overall Score:
University of Colorado—​Boulder 

Boulder, CO

4.0
#18Tie
Overall Score:
University of Wisconsin—​Madison 

Madison, WI

4.0
#22
Overall Score:
University of Washington 

Seattle, WA

3.9
#23Tie
Overall Score:
Ohio State University 

Columbus, OH

3.8
#23Tie
Overall Score:
Pennsylvania State University—​University Park 

University Park, PA

3.8
#23Tie
Overall Score:
Stony Brook University—​SUNY 

Stony Brook, NY

3.8

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