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Physics

The National Research Council assessed programs according to 21 different criteria. Here are the NRC's five major ratings summarizing those criteria. For a detailed explanation, see our FAQ.

S-Rank: Programs are ranked highly if they are strong in the criteria that scholars say are most important.
Research: Derived from faculty publications, citation rates, grants, and awards.
Students: Derived from students' completion rates, financial aid, and other criteria.
Diversity: Reflects gender balance, ethnic diversity, and the proportion of international students.
R-Rank: Programs are ranked highly if they have similar features to programs viewed by faculty as top-notch.

Institution, program	S-Rank High	S-Rank Low	Research High	Research Low	Students High	Students Low	Diversity High	Diversity Low	R-Rank High	R-Rank Low
Arizona State U. Physics	78	137	60	130	100	148	34	84	55	109
Auburn U. Physics	92	141	93	147	45	131	13	42	62	141
Baylor U. Physics	118	149	115	149	64	139	28	77	96	147
Boston College Physics	24	76	23	83	87	148	42	104	57	118
Boston U. Physics	6	30	5	38	63	131	2	11	11	28
Brandeis U. Physics	27	78	15	71	29	104	98	137	35	89
Brigham Young U. Physics and Astronomy	118	153	130	158	15	139	66	113	108	153
Brown U. Physics	18	67	21	93	22	90	28	83	37	85
California Institute of Technology Applied Physics	10	41	17	72	4	43	85	130	18	41
California Institute of Technology Physics	4	22	4	32	15	90	88	132	4	12
Carnegie Mellon U. Physics	10	47	8	57	17	83	54	110	27	54
Case Western Reserve U. Physics	41	107	41	122	9	54	23	74	40	91
Catholic U. of America Physics	121	156	32	119	159	160	157	160	100	155
City U. of New York Graduate Center Physics	125	153	121	152	109	149	8	31	54	123
Clark U. Physics	131	155	144	159	12	102	11	52	104	146
Clemson U. Physics	59	120	46	120	5	39	77	127	100	151
College of William and Mary Applied Science	48	120	101	156	4	42	72	128	35	97
College of William and Mary Physics	35	95	44	121	3	31	34	94	41	97
Colorado State U. Physics	60	126	36	114	76	140	55	108	49	102
Columbia U. Physics	5	24	5	43	40	124	17	60	10	26
Cornell U. Physics	8	35	6	50	35	107	102	137	6	16
Dartmouth College Physics & Astronomy	64	124	61	135	42	125	5	31	66	130
Drexel U. Physics	84	137	63	130	118	157	17	66	122	154
Duke U. Physics	14	67	7	63	55	127	78	123	30	73
Florida Atlantic U. Physics	141	157	135	159	66	141	2	17	133	160
Florida Inter- national U. Physics	34	104	42	115	3	131	2	14	114	159
Florida State U. Physics	42	109	30	111	24	98	70	116	37	83
George Washing- ton U. Physics	66	139	36	121	109	156	48	107	77	132
Georgia Institute of Technology Physics	40	104	33	110	22	88	53	107	36	83
Georgia State U. Physics	75	127	93	140	80	147	1	5	106	154
Harvard U. DEAS-Applied Physics	3	18	3	24	13	87	42	101	5	27
Harvard U. Physics	1	3	1	7	11	71	44	103	1	3
Illinois Institute of Technology Physics	108	149	109	152	16	115	20	63	131	157
Indiana U. at Blooming- ton Physics	20	72	39	116	10	102	16	60	35	75
Iowa State U. Physics	17	71	8	53	38	115	127	149	31	68
Johns Hopkins U. Physics	16	59	13	69	32	102	48	104	37	81
Kansas State U. Physics	26	82	38	116	2	40	6	34	61	117
Lehigh U. Physics	139	157	135	159	113	154	111	142	102	152
Louisiana State U. at Baton Rouge Physics	77	135	70	134	38	119	109	141	74	127
Massachu- setts Institute of Technology Physics	2	12	3	26	29	94	119	145	1	4
Michigan State U. Physics	13	56	17	82	21	94	72	117	17	41
Michigan Technological U. Physics	99	146	115	155	46	123	24	80	97	147
Montana State U. at Bozeman Physics	107	150	66	139	152	158	76	124	65	133
New Jersey Institute of Technology Applied Physics	90	142	108	154	19	141	11	43	101	149
New Mexico State U. at Las Cruces Physics	34	103	16	90	79	141	155	160	69	139
New York U. Physics	48	105	42	111	19	113	48	103	74	124
North Carolina State U. Physics	69	134	61	132	57	132	87	123	38	86
North- eastern U. Physics	37	112	24	106	22	91	146	155	38	99
Northern Illinois U. Physics	95	147	32	111	85	137	121	144	117	154
North- western U. Physics and Astronomy	30	93	23	102	56	128	23	71	36	83
Ohio State U. Main Campus Chemical Physics	93	145	63	134	149	159	3	22	81	136
Ohio State U. Main Campus Physics	21	65	13	68	104	149	119	144	14	33
Ohio U. Main Campus Physics and Astronomy	36	98	43	120	5	41	2	17	49	130
Oklahoma State U. Main Campus Photonics	101	148	100	149	64	137	19	61	106	148
Oklahoma State U. Main Campus Physics	116	149	124	156	5	62	98	133	95	152
Old Dominion U. Physics	92	138	52	118	124	155	14	57	108	150
Oregon State U. Physics	143	157	139	159	127	155	152	158	70	131
Pennsyl- vania State U. Physics	4	21	7	50	6	44	65	110	10	29
Princeton U. Physics	1	6	1	11	3	25	113	144	4	13
Princeton U. Plasma Physics	15	60	12	75	21	104	136	151	13	46
Purdue U. Main Campus Physics	45	100	37	111	132	153	17	66	28	60
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Physics	26	85	31	107	10	80	21	58	44	99
Rice U. Applied Physics	11	56	3	35	20	90	33	96	37	104
Rice U. Astronomy	48	125	33	118	54	153	144	154	61	140
Rice U. Physics	14	66	7	57	105	151	94	130	28	66
Rutgers U. at New Brunswick Physics and Astronomy	42	105	29	103	50	122	45	100	30	70
Stanford U. Physics	8	40	7	47	48	126	76	121	7	25
State U. of New York at Albany Physics	40	106	34	111	83	147	5	29	72	127
State U. of New York at Stony Brook Physics and Astronomy	13	50	19	78	14	76	54	107	11	33
Stevens Institute of Technology Physics	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
Syracuse U. Main Campus Physics	29	94	26	112	24	97	2	16	59	118
Temple U. Physics	128	155	126	157	15	99	17	58	114	157
Texas A&M U. Physics	23	76	19	90	37	115	39	90	34	79
Texas Christian U. Physics	153	159	154	160	49	151	49	100	122	156
Texas Tech U. Physics	156	160	131	158	152	159	43	92	151	160
Tufts U. Physics	56	124	43	125	105	155	12	60	73	130
Tulane U. Physics	9	45	5	37	3	53	130	148	99	151
U. at Buffalo (SUNY) Physics	97	141	96	142	67	129	56	110	66	115
U. of Alabama Physics	56	114	80	135	2	26	30	90	86	140
U. of Alabama at Birmingham Physics	115	155	119	155	23	128	3	19	124	159
U. of Alabama at Huntsville Optical Science and Engineering	102	151	105	157	69	143	25	80	83	138
U. of Alabama at Huntsville Physics	68	129	49	122	68	143	77	129	64	116
U. of Alaska at Fairbanks Physics	136	158	88	149	154	160	52	126	82	153
U. of Arizona Optical Sciences	60	124	50	130	80	125	114	141	19	44
U. of Arizona Physics	58	113	58	120	65	137	49	98	51	99
U. of Arkansas Main Campus Physics	104	147	110	149	20	110	81	126	95	140
U. of California at Berkeley Physics	1	9	1	15	27	97	138	150	1	3
U. of California at Davis Applied Science Engineering	72	136	64	136	68	131	78	120	36	79
U. of California at Davis Physics	31	85	31	101	18	87	120	145	33	61
U. of California at Irvine Physics	8	40	8	63	37	115	113	143	20	40
U. of California at Los Angeles Physics	17	60	25	100	30	106	154	158	9	27
U. of California at Riverside Physics	25	82	14	78	53	130	10	35	50	104
U. of California at San Diego Physics	18	66	16	84	29	107	147	155	16	31
U. of California at Santa Barbara Physics	2	14	2	23	9	62	149	156	4	13
U. of California at Santa Cruz Physics	11	51	5	43	17	83	61	122	43	94
U. of Central Florida Physics	104	144	113	149	4	54	57	104	124	153
U. of Chicago Physics	4	22	5	43	5	44	95	133	4	14
U. of Cincinnati Main Campus Physics	78	130	64	128	102	150	40	101	79	135
U. of Colorado at Boulder Physics	10	44	5	42	103	150	126	148	8	23
U. of Connec- ticut Physics Ph.D.	90	143	77	139	57	124	68	120	77	133
U. of Delaware Physics	48	107	40	111	46	123	11	48	74	130
U. of Florida Physics	27	83	23	96	22	90	73	120	27	65
U. of Georgia Physics	100	148	81	142	91	149	41	94	77	143
U. of Hawaii- Manoa Physics	3	27	1	10	43	123	97	135	50	116
U. of Houston main campus Physics	55	118	71	133	86	147	19	66	30	89
U. of Illinois at Chicago Physics	54	116	18	96	92	147	8	34	79	140
U. of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign Physics	13	60	12	66	68	133	109	139	3	14
U. of Iowa Physics	39	112	25	112	21	97	35	85	55	115
U. of Kansas Physics	28	98	17	90	27	97	29	79	65	129
U. of Kentucky Physics	72	132	88	144	78	141	19	73	64	125
U. of Maryland at College Park Chemical Physics	33	94	37	109	9	111	9	40	44	98
U. of Maryland at College Park Physics	23	66	30	95	23	91	126	145	5	21
U. of Maryland- Baltimore County Applied Physics	89	143	70	132	63	151	5	28	110	154
U. of Massachu- setts at Amherst Physics	31	96	25	106	44	121	46	100	46	108
U. of Miami Physics	114	150	114	153	104	153	1	11	107	155
U. of Michigan at Ann Arbor Applied Physics	47	105	43	122	21	113	43	95	35	82
U. of Michigan at Ann Arbor Physics	10	48	11	74	30	98	28	73	14	30
U. of Minnesota- Twin Cities Physics	41	103	34	112	76	142	99	135	32	71
U. of Mississippi Physics	18	88	25	114	1	12	121	146	82	139
U. of Missouri at Columbia Physics	52	113	98	146	4	51	19	67	56	114
U. of Missouri at Kansas City Physics	115	157	102	152	20	129	42	117	121	160
U. of Missouri at Rolla Physics	138	156	131	158	76	145	19	69	122	156
U. of Missouri at Saint Louis Physics	101	142	147	159	1	5	38	96	107	156
U. of Nebraska at Lincoln Physics & Astronomy	24	91	27	115	3	36	48	101	49	103
U. of Nevada at Reno Physics	107	147	127	157	4	73	6	34	125	155
U. of New Hampshire Physics	48	118	31	119	65	131	138	154	37	101
U. of New Mexico Main Campus Physics	51	110	36	109	76	134	106	140	45	94
U. of New Mexico Main Campus Optical Science & Engineering	74	131	88	147	18	87	38	98	66	128
U. of New Orleans Engineering and Applied Science--SCI	153	159	147	160	72	150	84	131	89	155
U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Physics and Astronomy	50	114	33	117	107	150	73	125	41	87
U. of North Texas Physics	158	160	146	160	132	156	145	154	151	160
U. of Notre Dame Physics	40	104	25	99	51	131	28	81	52	104
U. of Oklahoma Norman Campus Physics	17	32	13	33	16	30	12	24	5	25
U. of Oregon Physics	27	95	9	66	126	155	122	148	46	93
U. of Pennsyl- vania Physics and Astronomy	4	23	5	40	4	42	34	86	20	37
U. of Pittsburgh Main Campus Physics and Astronomy	23	80	27	105	32	107	50	103	30	62
U. of Rochester Optics	45	109	35	116	42	117	65	126	28	54
U. of Rochester Physics	11	53	15	83	46	125	52	102	9	32
U. of South Carolina at Columbia Physics	69	133	36	119	118	153	13	52	103	154
U. of South Florida Physics	132	155	125	153	13	94	11	44	145	160
U. of Southern California Physics	97	140	95	144	36	104	69	122	83	142
U. of Tennessee Physics	79	134	65	130	91	152	102	136	45	94
U. of Texas at Austin Physics	25	80	33	110	16	72	158	160	4	17
U. of Texas at Dallas Physics	78	140	48	126	22	102	121	148	90	149
U. of Toledo Physics	104	147	102	153	23	94	39	92	87	140
U. of Utah Physics	71	130	35	113	97	146	100	138	55	109
U. of Virginia Physics	31	95	36	112	5	70	118	145	38	86
U. of Virginia Engineering Physics	47	122	24	113	18	86	146	154	72	134
U. of Washing- ton Physics	20	67	23	103	48	124	153	158	15	35
U. of Wisconsin at Madison Medical Physics	124	155	113	153	132	158	34	95	61	143
U. of Wisconsin at Madison Physics	21	69	22	94	49	123	107	141	13	32
U. of Wisconsin at Milwaukee Physics	68	125	83	139	10	93	11	50	72	128
Utah State U. Physics (SCI)	120	154	117	153	7	79	131	150	101	149
Vanderbilt U. Physics	73	130	47	123	74	139	27	76	62	120
Virginia Tech Physics	52	113	71	133	6	46	17	57	92	140
Wake Forest U. Physics	54	117	71	134	2	30	71	124	74	135
Washing- ton State U. Physics and Astronomy	94	146	52	126	143	157	41	98	75	136
Washing- ton U. in St. Louis Physics	52	115	66	129	18	87	44	102	32	79
Wayne State U. Physics	55	121	19	89	129	154	82	129	91	141
Western Michigan U. Physics	133	155	130	157	16	105	2	21	146	160
Yale U. Applied Physics	33	105	18	98	77	144	35	97	34	83
Yale U. Physics	7	41	5	43	54	126	63	114	15	32
Methodology: This interactive tool is based on rankings developed by the NRC. For a complete explanation of the methods the research council used, go to its site; registration may be required.