physics phd programs ranked

20 Best Doctor of Physics Graduate Schools

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Updated: June 7, 2024 , Reading time: 35 minutes

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Physics, or physical science, is a discipline that studies the elemental forces that govern every entity in the universe. Physical science is ubiquitous. It is concerned with electromagnetic energy, communication technologies, medical radiology and imaging, cosmological energy, astronomy, and biological physics.

While it is everywhere, not all of its forms and upshots are completely defined, described, or studied – yet this is where physics as an academic discipline thrives. 

For the Inquisitive Type…

Academically, Physics is a degree for those with an unending inquisitive nature and an appreciation for abstract and intangible concepts. Waves, subatomic particles, and cosmology, to name a few, are concepts that only become alive and apparent through advanced mathematical equations.

The Doctor of Physics (Ph.D.) is a terminal degree in the field of physics. It is the most advanced degree available in the field of physics and provides students with the opportunity to explore a specialty area such as astrophysics, condensed matter physics, or quantum mechanics, among others.

Choose Your Discipline…

Through coursework and research experience, Ph.D. students develop expertise in a chosen sub-discipline as they advance their understanding of physics. These levels of learning require not only extensive research experience but also extensive patience, as completion of dissertations and research may take years.

Most students who embark on an academic track in physics are geared to take it all the way to graduate school. A doctorate and post-doctorate in physics are the ultimate academic goals (not career goals). Upon completion, graduates of the Doctor of Physics program often pursue a career in research and academia.

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METHODOLOGY

The following metrics and considerations were employed to arrive at the ranking below (in no particular order):

• The number of available areas of focus/research areas, research centers, facilities, and institutions, and the availability of equipment and research instrumentation were strongly considered.
• Funding received from the National Sciences Foundation (NSF) and other government agencies, such as the Department of Energy, was also factored in, as this signifies the level and depth of scientific research activity within the institution.
• The availability of university-based and outside fellowships, grants, and awards was also considered, with the same rationale as with the previous metric. 
• “Word of mouth” from other physicists themselves, through online scientific forums and other Q&A websites (e.g., Quora). Only responses from those with a legitimate profile with academic credentials to boot (Ph.D. or post-doc) were considered. 
• Opportunities for interdisciplinary or collaborative research. It allows students to conduct applied physics work in other disciplines or industries, which is the ultimate goal of any theoretical work. 
• Combination of rankings from other school ranking publications. The National Taiwan University – Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities is also known as the NTU Rankings.

In summary, the ranking below was based on two things: breadth of research opportunities and professional public opinion. The first criterion is a given. The second criterion may appear subjective, but the reality is that physicists determine the top caliber through published research in peer-reviewed journals and other scientific literature.

When on the hunt for a good physics program, you don’t ask a doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer, right? You ask a physicist. 

THE 20 BEST DOCTOR OF GENERAL PHYSICS GRADUATE SCHOOLS

Yale university.

New Haven, CT

Ph.D. in Physics

Yale University was founded in 1701. The Physics Department was an upshot of the Department of Philosophy, the Arts, and the Sheffield Scientific School. In 1894, the Physics Department had physicist Arthur Day as part of its faculty.

• The Physics Ph.D. program requires students to complete the core courses in quantum mechanics, electromagnetic theory, and statistical and mathematical physics. First-year students must also take the following courses: Topics in Modern Physics Research and Responsible Conduct in Research for Physical Scientists.
• The prerequisites for doctoral candidacies, such as the required coursework, qualifying exams, and the submission of a written thesis proposal, should all be completed before the culmination of Year 3.
• Students can apply to any of the external fellowships that are available through the  Physics Department. These include grants from the NSF and the Department of Energy . 

Standout Features of the Program:

The department researches 11 areas of physics . Among the notable fields are Gravitational Physics and Biophysics. It is also home to three physics research centers, such as the Wright Laboratory and the Yale Quantum Institute . It offers an option for Physics Ph.D. students interested in interdisciplinary applied physics to cross-enroll into the Physical and Engineering Biology Ph.D. program , an inter-departmental offering.

Yale University was the first to confer a Ph.D. degree in the US in 1861. Also, among its many firsts, it is the first institution to confer higher learning degrees to minorities – first, to Yung Wing, a Chinese BA graduate in 1854, and Edward Bouchet, an African American Ph.D. graduate in  1876.

University of Washington (UW)

Seattle, WA

The University of Washington, a public research facility and university, was established in 1861. It has been teaching physics courses such as mechanics and calculus ever since. The Department of Physics was launched in 1928 and has since expanded to include a department dedicated to Astronomy and other research centers and institutes.

• UW offers a doctoral program in Physics, which requires the completion of 90 credits of coursework.
• A general exam is required, which determines the student’s readiness to undertake dissertation work. The final exam is also required, which is based on the doctoral candidate’s dissertation.
• Applicants to the program must demonstrate a strong background in courses like electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and optics. Knowledge of nuclear, particle, and condensed matter physics is a big plus.
• Students can research any of the department’s 14 research areas , including Nuclear Theory and Neutrino Physics.
• First-year students are expected to take on mandatory teaching assistantship roles to receive funding. For the succeeding terms, students must secure funding sources on their own, whether through TA work, RA work, or a combination of both. UW will help in this regard.

Standout Features of the Program:

The department is home to six research centers and institutes , four of which receive government funding. For instance, the Department of Energy co-funds the Institute for Nuclear Theory along with university funding. 

UW spearheads the NSF Institute for Accelerated AI Algorithms for Data-Driven Discovery or A3D3 . It recently received a $15 million NSF grant to help fast-track studies in physics and astrophysics and integrate these with neuroscience through AI, data science, and machine learning. The institute brings together nine universities with UW at the helm.

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Pasadena, CA

Caltech was founded in 1891 by benefactor Amos Throop. In 1921, astronomer George Hale, physicist Robert Millikan, and chemist Arthur Noyes worked together to lead the university to become a behemoth in scientific research. Since then, Caltech’s Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy co-manages and spearheads more than ten research centers, including JPL, and has produced close to 20 Nobel laureates in Physics.

• Students admitted to the Ph.D. program in Physics must submit a study plan for approval before the first term closes.
• Passing the written exams (Year 2) and the oral exam (Year 3) is required.
• Elementary Particles and Fields
• Quantum Information and Matter
• Physics of the Universe
• Interdisciplinary Physics
• Students are also required to undertake TA work for at least one semester.

There are 13 research areas within the Physics division. Some of the standout areas include Theoretical and Experimental Elementary Particle Physics and Gravitational Wave Science. Caltech is home to 7 research centers, including the Center for Data-Driven Discovery (CD3) and the Space Radiation Laboratory (SRL) .

Caltech manages NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory or JPL . Also, together with MIT, it operates the Laser Interferometer  Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO , which the NSF funds. Caltech also owns the Palomar Observatory in San Diego, CA, and co-manages the Keck Observatory in Hawaii with the University of California system.

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

Harvard University is one of the oldest US universities founded in 1636. In the 1800s, the Department of Physics was instituted, emphasizing integrating theoretical learning and laboratory application.

• The doctoral program in Physics, regardless of the chosen track , requires 64 credit units of study, passing marks in two oral examinations, and the submission and defense of a dissertation.
• Students may also cross-enroll at MIT for some graduate-level courses.
• Students are required to hold full-time academic residence for at least two years or four terms.
• Harvard will cover the cost of attendance, including stipends, of first-year Ph.D. students for both terms, after which students are expected to apply for fellowships or apply for RA positions or teaching fellowships to cover their funding and other expenses for the succeeding terms.

The program offers four tracks toward a doctoral degree in Physics: General Physics, Biophysics, Engineering and Physical Biology (EPB), and Molecules, Cells, and Organisms (MCO). Students interested in doing physics research and its integration or application with other fields such as engineering and biology may opt for the other three tracks. Students under the general track may choose to join any of the department’s 13 research centers , including the Black Hole Initiative , the first of its kind worldwide.

The Department of Physics does its part to break stereotypes and glass ceilings through its “ Women in Physics ” initiative. The organization’s objective is to bring together female physics students of all levels of higher learning for mentoring and professional camaraderie. It also aims to encourage more women to be part of a career field that male scientists have long dominated.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Ph.D. in Physics and Ph.D. in Physics, Statistics and Data Science (PhysSDS)

Founded in 1861, MIT is a groundbreaker in research and its applications and, thus, home to many innovations. It launched the Department of Physics four years later, which offers the doctoral program via two pathways – General Physics and the Physics, Statistics and Data Science (PhysSDS) track. 

• Both tracks can be completed in six years or less. Fewer attempts in doctoral exams can shorten the completion time.
• Astrophysics
• Atomic and Optical Physics
• Quantum Information
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Experimental OR Theoretical Nuclear and Particle 
• Plasma Physics
• They must take at least two courses in their chosen area of research. 
• Students in the Physics Ph.D. program may cross-enroll into the Ph.D. in PhysSDS track. They can complement their advanced physics research with knowledge of data science and analysis, inferential algorithms, and statistical modeling with machine learning, to name a few. 

MIT is proactive in helping its Ph.D. students, especially those in good standing, receive full funding throughout their residency, whether through fellowships, research assistantships (RA), or teaching assistantships (TA). For example, if the research contract for which the RA is completed or terminated, MIT will support the student for one term and proactively help seek other funding opportunities. 

The MIT Physics faculty comprises achievers who have won almost every award and prize in Physics known to man – the Nobel Prize, the MacArthur Fellowship, the National Medal of Science, the Sloan Research Fellowships, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and many more .

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey

In 1746, Princeton University became the fourth educational institution established in the US Princeton’s Physics research rose to prominence a century later thanks to Joseph Henry’s studies on electromagnetic induction. 

• The Ph.D. program in Physics requires students to complete the required coursework within the first two years of study. A career development course, Communicating Physics, is also required.
• The preliminary exams must be taken within their first year of study. Some of the topics covered by the exam are quantum mechanics and thermodynamics. 
• An experimental project must be presented before the culmination of Year 2. Students are strongly advised to begin preparations for this as early as their first term.
• Students can apply for any external fellowships, grants, and prizes to help fund their doctoral study and research. Travel funds are available for students partaking in other academic endeavors outside of Princeton.

The department offers  11 research areas from which students can choose to conduct research. Some of the notable areas include Condensed Matter Experiment and Theory, High Energy Experiment and Theory, and Particle Phenomenology, to name a few. Princeton Physics is also home to 5 research centers . The NSF funded three of these, including the IRIS-HEP software center, which provides advanced information systems to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.

Albert Einstein held an academic residency at Princeton, specifically at the Mathematics building, during the 1930s. He accepted an offer from the university’s Institute of Advanced Study as a researcher. Though he was not employed as a university faculty, he delivered lectures at Princeton and other American universities. 

University of California – Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA

Ph.D. in Physics and Ph.D. in Physics with Astrophysics Emphasis

After its incorporation into the UC system in 1936, not only did UCSB carry a new, but a new location as well, and this time, facing the sea with a two-mile-long shoreline. UCSB’s Department of Physics was launched in 1944 and continues to carry the reputation of being “ relatively small ” yet, a powerhouse in physics research and education.

• The department offers the Physics Ph.D. degree with two concentrations: the General Track and the Astrophysics track . Both tracks will require a candidacy exam and a  dissertation defense for completion.
• Both tracks also require the completion of courses in Quantum Mechanics, Electromagnetic Theory, and Statistical Mechanics. 
• Students under the General track are required to demonstrate knowledge of  Lagrangian Mechanics. In contrast, those under the Astrophysics track must take any five of the following courses: Galactic Dynamics, Interstellar Medium, Extragalactic Astrophysics, Stellar Structure and Evolution, High Energy Astrophysics, and  Cosmology.
• First and second-year students are guaranteed funding through TA or RA positions. There are five fellowships available through the department and many other opportunities through the UCSB Graduate Division .

UCSB Physics researches eight areas of physics and houses and co-manages ten research centers, including Microsoft Station Q, which focuses on quantum physics. It is home to more than 20 research groups, including the Young Lab Group , helmed by Prof. Andrea Young. The group consists of post-doc, graduate, and undergraduate students and conducts studies on quantum materials through nanofabrication techniques and electronic measurement.

UCSB is the only educational and research institution in the US situated within walking distance of the beach. So, if you hit a snag in your research and feel burned out, remember that the sea is just right outside. 

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

Stanford University was established in 1891, and the same year, the Department of Physics was also instituted. Research at the university first reached its peak during the 1930s, through prominent figures such as Felix Bloch, who discovered spin waves and was also Stanford’s first Nobel Prize recipient, for his collaborative work involving Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).

• Stanford’s doctoral program in Physics requires the completion of the following courses: Statistical Mechanics, Classical Electrodynamics, Research Activities at Stanford, and Teaching of Physics Seminar. A course on either Quantum Mechanics or Quantum Field Theory is also required.
• In addition, the following mathematics courses are also required: Complex Variable Functions, Linear Algebra and  Matrix Theory, Complex Analysis, Partial Differential Equations, and Mathematical Methods. 
• Students are also required to teach for at least three quarters to complete the Ph.D. program. 
• First-year Ph.D. students are guaranteed funding through RA or TA work . Internal fellowships are available on a nomination basis. Students can also apply for the Knight-Hennesy Scholarship for graduate students and external fellowships, such as the NSF.

The department has and continues to produce research in seven different areas of physics. Some of the department’s most applauded and popular research are the ones done on theoretical, observational, and experimental astrophysics and cosmology.

The Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, or KIPAC , and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, or SLAC , were both established to deeply explore how the fundamental physical forces in the universe can be dissected, simulated, analyzed, and applied to other industries such as biotechnology, medicine, agriculture, geodetic science, and engineering, among many others. KIPAC is housed within SLAC, and the Department of  Energy funds both entities.

University of Colorado – Boulder

Boulder, CO

The University of  Colorado – Boulder (CU Boulder) is a publicly funded research institution belonging to the elite group of the American Association of Universities (AAU) , along with 63 other universities. Established in 1876, CU Boulder has produced acclaimed research and innovations in the areas of bio-health, astrophysics, and sustainable energies, all of which are upshots of CU’s formidable physics programs and research.

• The CU Physics Department offers a doctoral program in Physics which requires the completion of 30 credit hours of graduate-level coursework. 
• Students must maintain (at least) a 3.0 GPA to stay in the program.
• Students must complete two comprehensive exams and submit and defend a dissertation. The dissertation accounts for 30 credit hours.
• Ph.D. students can explore several funding options, from fellowships to RA or TA positions and award and research grant opportunities.

Doctoral students can choose to research any of the 12 research areas available within the department. These include High Energy Physics, Astrophysics and Planetary Sciences, Plasma Physics, and Biophysics, to name. CU Physics is also home to various research centers and fellowships , such as the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA) , the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) , and the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI) , among many others. 

CU Physics offers other interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs such as Geophysics , Applied Physics, and Chemical Physics . The Applied Physics track has four concentrations: Biophysics, Imaging Sciences, Quantum Information Science, and Molecular Physics. Also, the department’s High Energy Physics faculty partook in the historical and collaborative Higgs boson particle discovery in Switzerland’s Large Hadron Collider, which goes to show the world-class caliber of the CU Physics faculty. 

University of California – Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

In 1868, the University of California–Berkeley became the state’s first land-grant educational institution and the first school within the UC system. Berkeley’s Department of Physics pioneered high-energy physics research and, decades later, studied dark matter and neutrino science, as well. 

• Berkeley’s doctoral degree in Physics is one of the most competitive in the world. Every year, more than 7000 applicants are considered by the department, but only 45 are accepted into the program, which amounts to a 6.4% acceptance rate.
• Ph.D. students must complete two written exams on Classical Physics and Modern Physics before applying for research fellowships. 
• Students can choose from any of the seven research areas available at Berkeley Physics. Among these include Plasma and Non-linear Dynamics, Condensed Matter Physics, and Material Science, to name a few. 
• Students can fund their studies through RA or TA work or by applying for any of the fellowships, scholarships, or awards offered by the department. Some of the fellowships are aimed at students involved in astrophysics or condensed matter physics studies. 

Students can also explore research opportunities in any of Berkeley Physics’ research centers that focus on the following areas: cosmological physics , theoretical physics , and nanoscience and engineering . Students interested in interdisciplinary and collaborative hands-on work can also explore opportunities at the Berkeley Lab and the Space Scienc e Laboratory .

The department is home to the Physics R&D Machine Shop , a materials science and manufacturing haven for physicists. This shop can create and deliver parts for laboratory experiments, demonstrations, and other academic purposes, from metallurgical works like machining, milling, and assembly to  computerized manufacturing, CAD/CAM, and 3D printing, this 

The University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

Established in 1890, the University of Chicago operates for one purpose: research, or as Chancellor Robert Zimmer puts it, “ inquiry .” The Physics Department, launched in 1893, was the true embodiment of this vision. The succeeding decades saw the department focus on experimental physics, emphasizing replicating previously successful experiments to hone students’ skills and prepare them for original research. 

• The department’s Ph.D. program in Physics requires first-year students to complete an experimental physics requirement, either in the form of a course or a project.
• Students are advised to consult the department on the availability of courses as these may change from year to year. Some of the notable courses include Quantum Field Theory, Advanced Data Analysis, and Solid State Physics.
• Students can fund their studies through TA work or internal or external fellowships . The graduate school also offers a travel fund for academic activities outside Chicago, like conferences, lectures, or research.

Chicago is home to ten research areas , which include Quantum Science and Nuclear Physics, among others. There are also ten research centers housed within the university, one of which is the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics (KICP). Chicago is also heavily involved in other research centers outside the university, such as Fermilab and CERN. 

Chicago’s Physics Department is responsible for many discoveries such as the photon, the nuclear chain reaction, new isotopes, solar wind, and rotating black holes and their properties.

University of  Arizona – Tucson

Founded in 1885, the University of Arizona always played an important role in research, particularly space discoveries. From astronomer Gerard Kuiper’s Lunar Maps which aided the first moon landing in 1969 to the OSIRIS-Rex Asteroid study mission , UA consistently makes its mark as a viable and reputable institution for research and development.

• The Ph.D. in Physics program at UA requires the completion of at least 63 credit units, which includes 18 units from dissertation work. 
• For the required coursework, including core courses in Analytical, Quantum, and Statistical Mechanics, and Electromagnetic Theory,  a minimum GPA of 3.1 must be maintained.
• Students must take six elective courses. Choices include Molecular Biophysics, Plasma Physics, and Optical Physics, among others. Instead of this, an independent study requirement can be undertaken instead.
• UA offers a long list of internal and external fellowships to help students fund their studies. Specific external fellowships for doctoral candidates, women, minorities, and students with disabilities are also available. 

The department researches six areas of physics. Some notable areas include Optical Physics and  Astrophysics . It is also home to three research facilities: the Biosphere 2, the Life and Planets Astrobiology Center (LAPLACE), and the NSF-funded Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Lab.

Students interested in Applied Physics and Medicine can also join the Master’s Program in Medical Physics . Some of the required coursework includes topics on radiation oncology physics and imaging physics.

Completing the program, a combination of theoretical and applied learning prepares students for the American Board of Radiology certification. They are also eligible to apply to the medical residency program at the Department of Radiation Oncology .

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Cornell University was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1865. In 1872, the university launched the Department of Physics thanks to physicist William Anthony. It conferred its first Ph.D. degree twenty years after the department’s inauguration. From the 1930s to 1940s, the department focused its research on nuclear physics. During the Space Race era, the department established the Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics .

• To be considered, Ph.D. program applicants must have a solid background in quantum mechanics, optics, electronics, and advanced lab familiarity.
• The first two years of study should be spent on completing the required coursework, although preparatory steps to research work, e.g., reaching out to a prospective Ph.D. advisor, during this time are also encouraged.
• Although first-year Ph.D. students are guaranteed funding through TA work, it is strongly advised that they proactively seek funding opportunities through fellowships during their first year. 
• Several fellowship opportunities are available which students can explore after their first year. One of which is the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) which accepts about 200 CGS students per year. 

Cornell Physics offers eight research areas , including Experimental Elementary Particle Physics, which students can focus on. The department is also home to nine research institutes that focus on particle physics, atomic physics, high energy physics, materials science, and nanoscience. One example is the Kavli Institute at Cornell (KIC) for Nanoscale Science , funded by the Kavli Institute.

During the 1940s, the Department of Physics welcomed to its faculty two famed physicists who were known for their participation in the Manhattan Project , Richard Feynman, who taught from 1945 to 1951, and Robert Wilson, who taught from 1947 to 1967. 

University of Texas – Austin

The University of Texas (UT) in Austin was established in 1883. The Department of Physics was launched a year later. Ten years later, the university’s first master’s degree in Physics was conferred to George W. Pierce. Pierce would later emerge as the pioneer of communications engineering technology. 

• The UT Ph.D. in Physics program offers students flexibility in the curriculum, especially those who have already earned a master’s degree. Transfer credits are accepted.
• Instead of a written exam, oral qualifying exams, one via a panel and another via a one-on-one session, are implemented. The topic of the oral exam will center on the student’s dissertation proposal.
• A weekly “Pizza Seminar,” similar to a town hall session, with all faculty members present, is held to help students choose a dissertation topic. Pizza is served during the meetings, such as the name of the event. Students can also take the course Particle Physics: Introduction to Research instead of the weekly session. 
• First-year students fund their studies through TA work but are encouraged to supplement this with a fellowship , scholarship , or grant, as well. 

The department is home to an extensive list of facilities and equipment to help students and researchers conduct investigations and experiments. The list includes a supercomputer, a cryogenic laboratory, various spectroscopical equipment, and many more. 

The Department houses seven research centers and institutes focused on the different areas of physics such as quantum systems, gravitational physics, high energy physics, nonlinear dynamics, particle physics, and fusion studies.  

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

In 1876, Johns Hopkins University (JHU) was established as the first educational institution with a heightened focus on research. Every member of its faculty is involved in different studies and research, a tradition that continues today. Graduate students, especially those under the Department of Physics and Astronomy, are expected to be involved in original investigative work as early as their first semester.

• The department offers two Ph.D. programs – one in Physics and one in Astronomy. 
• Students under the Physics track must take courses on electromagnetic theory, quantum mechanics, and advanced statistical mechanics.
• Students under both tracks are expected to take and pass the departmental exam before starting their second year of studies. They should also have an official thesis adviser by the end of their second year.
• Students must also maintain a grade of at least B- for every course. 
• Most Ph.D. students at JHU receive full funding for at least five years through three common pathways: RA work, TA work, and fellowships . 

The department researches six areas of physics . Their work in Condensed Matter Physics is complemented by the department’s own Raman scattering machine housed at the Raman Laboratory.

JHU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy is well-equipped. Not only does it have its clean room, but it also has at least five furnaces, two magnetometers, various X-ray and spectroscopic equipment, and much more. It also has its machine shop , capable of designing and creating materials for investigations and experiments,  

Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN

Established in 1862, Purdue University is a land-grant educational institution that used to be an A&M (agricultural and mechanical) college. Physics courses were taught at the university by 1874, but it wasn’t until 1904 that the discipline would have a department. 

• The department offers two Ph.D. tracks, a Physics track, and an Astrophysics track.
• The Ph.D. in Physics program requires students to complete all necessary coursework within their first year.
• Various funding opportunities are available to students. Faculty members with open RA and TA positions are posted on the department’s website. Students must apply to external fellowships and grants/awards for augmented funding.
• Students in both physics and astrophysics tracks can specialize in computational science and engineering (CSE) on top of their doctoral studies. Some of the courses prescribed in the CSE curriculum include Scientific Visualization, Statistical Machine Learning, AI, and Optimization Methods for Systems and Control, among many others. 

Purdue Physics conducts studies in ten research areas . Some of the notable and distinct focus areas include Planetary Physics and Geophysics, and Quantum Information Science. The department also holds regular seminars in these focus areas. 

Purdue Physics collaborates with other departments and the university’s other research institutes located in the “Discovery Park” area campus. For biophysics, there is the Bindley Bioscience Center . For nanoscience, there is the Birck Nanotechnology Center .

For particle and accelerator physics, there is the Purdue Rare Isotope Measurement Laboratory or the PRIME Lab . And for quantum physics and atomic and molecular optics (AMO), there is the Purdue Quantum Science and Engineering Institute .

Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, Georgia

Established in 1885, Georgia Tech was originally a trade school with a focus on engineering. Its transformation to a research university mirrored the state’s transformation from agrarian and skilled-trade roots to an industrial hub driven by research and development.

While physics has long been taught at the university, it wasn’t until 1938 that the discipline would have its own home. 

• The Ph.D. in Physics program requires the completion of the required coursework and passing the candidacy exam before the doctoral research or dissertation.
• Students are also required to undertake seminars and complete specialized problem sets.
• Ph.D. students who are in good standing are guaranteed funding that covers tuition and health insurance, at the very least. 
• Students also can cross-enroll in other interdisciplinary doctoral programs such as the Quantitative Biosciences Ph.D. program or the Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) Ph.D. program . Students must consult their advisers on how to streamline their curriculum to avoid redundant courses. A master’s degree in Robotics is also available as a top-up degree option. 

Georgia Tech has six physics areas for research work. Some notable areas of focus include Non-linear Physics, Astroparticles, and Soft Matter Physics, to name a few. The department also houses two research centers: the Center for Non-linear Science and the Center for Relativistic Astrophysics (CRA) .

In collaboration with UC Santa Barbara, Georgia Tech is currently doing groundbreaking – literally  – investigations on the subterranean landscape , using a robot that can burrow through soft ground, like sand, for example. This is an interdisciplinary research endeavor co-founded by several government agencies like the NSF, NASA, and the Army Research Office.

University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)

The University of Illinois is a research and academic hub founded in 1867. It is known to spearhead groundbreaking research such as digital education with PLATO , LED technology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, which is the pride of UIUC’s Department of Physics. Its doctoral offering requires the completion of 96 credit units, including individual research and a dissertation.

• Students can choose from any of the department’s eight research areas , which include Nuclear Physics, High Energy Physics, and Condensed Matter Physics, to name a few. 
• Students are also strongly encouraged to take courses on Quantum Mechanics, Mathematical Methods, Statistical Physics, and Classical Electromagnetism in preparation for research work.
• Theoretical Astrophysics
• Biomolecular Physics
• Emergent States of Matter
• Subatomic Physics
• Quantum Optics and Information
• Modern Atomic Physics
• Examinations are required before undertaking research work for dissertation submission and defense.

Standout Features of the Program:  

This is one of the top 20 doctoral physics programs in the US, according to Clarivate Analytics, currently ranking 15 th (24 th best in the world). The department receives close to $30 million in funding annually from the NSF and other benefactors. 

The department is home to thirteen Nobel Prize laureates . In 2003, it took home two prizes – one for Physics, through Dr. Anthony J. Leggett’s research on superconductors and super-fluids, and the other for Medicine, through Sir Peter Manfield’s discovery of MRI and its use in Medicine.

Columbia University

New York, NY

Columbia University is New York’s oldest university, founded in 1754. It is also the fifth university to be instituted in the US. More than a hundred years later, the Department of Physics was established.

The Pupin Hall, which houses the department and the Pupin Laboratory, was named after long-serving department chair, physicist Michael Pupin. He spearheaded the development of a cyclotron which was instrumental to the Manhattan Project research of the 1940s.

• The department offers three graduate degrees in Physics – an MA, an  M.Phil., and a Ph.D. This contrasts with other universities that only offer a Ph.D. program in Physics, with the MA as an in-progress conferment.
• The department requires students to have earned an MA and then an M.Phil. in Physics, which equals three years of study. During this time, students would need to complete 30 credits of coursework in preparation for the doctoral qualifying exams and research.
• The qualifying exam is divided into four parts: Classical Physics, Modern Physics, General Physics, and an Oral Exam.
• During the first two years in graduate school, funding can come from teaching laboratory classes and supervising problem sets. Students can also explore other sources of funding like fellowships and awards. 

The department conducts research in different interdisciplinary areas of physics such as Biology, High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physics, Molecular and Atomic Physics, Astrophysics, Gravitational Waves, and Cosmology, to name some. 

Aside from Columbia’s pivotal role in the Manhattan Project (the isolation of Uranium isotope 235, elemental to the atomic bomb creation), the university also saw the establishment of the American Physical Society .

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

The University of Pennsylvania is one of America’s oldest universities. Founded in 1740, this Ivy League school has always been known for its top-caliber faculty and graduates. Its Department of Physics and Astronomy is one of the smallest heads, but its heightened focus and successful discoveries in key physics areas make its mark on the world stage.

• The  Ph.D. program in Physics requires the completion of 20 credit units (each course equals one credit). Courses on statistical, mathematical, and quantum mechanics and electromagnetism are all required. For these core courses, a minimum grade of B+ must be maintained. 
• Upon completing the core courses, the oral candidacy exam must be undertaken as soon as possible, or at most, 18 months after passing the courses.
• Students are encouraged to conduct original interdisciplinary research for their dissertations to compel them to collaborate with scholars from other departments. 
• Internal and external fellowships are available to help students with funding.

The department categorizes its research areas into three main topics: 

• Condensed Matter, which includes subtopics like soft and living matter, and biophysics,
• Astronomy, which includes subtopics like dark matter and dark energy, and,
• Particle Physics involves collaborative work in high-energy physics, neutrino physics, String theory, and cosmology.

UPenn’s work in Particle Physics features collaborations with renowned research centers that have resulted in groundbreaking physics discoveries. Some of these include:

• The unearthing of the neutrino mass through research conducted at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO),
• Experiments at the Large Hadron Collider resulted in the discovery of the Higgs boson,
• Detection of the top quark through the joint effort of the UPenn and Fermilab teams. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a doctor of general physics graduate program .

A Doctor of General Physics graduate program or a Ph.D. program in Physics is a research program that requires students to take a few core courses in preparation for dissertation work .

Compared to undergraduate or master’s degrees, which usually culminate with a choice between a capstone project, a thesis, or a practicum, a doctoral or Ph.D. program, especially in Physics, will always culminate with a dissertation proposal, and then, the public defense.

Most doctoral programs in Physics accept students straight out of the undergraduate level, which would seem like the doctoral program is a twofer – a master’s and a Ph.D. program rolled into one, which it is.

However, applicants must remember that most of these programs only confer the master’s degree in Physics once the student’s dissertation has been accepted by the department, meaning the student is moving on into the actual doctoral phase of the program, which is now all about the execution of the accepted dissertation topic.

A terminal master’s degree in Physics is rarely available, and Physics schools rarely accept applicants who only intend to earn a master’s degree.

What are the benefits of a General Physics doctorate?

A doctorate in Physics pays well. BLS reports that in 2023, physicists with a Ph.D. earned a median salary of close to $155,680 annually . Most physicists are employed by private and government-funded research institutes or centers, and normally, the entry-level requirement is a bachelor’s degree in physics or a related field.

But, undergrads will only land assistantship roles unless they apply to a graduate program. Published and acclaimed research increases a physicist’s marketability to join a renowned research facility or group , especially at the graduate level.

Who can apply to the program? 

Most Physics Ph.D. programs will accept students with a bachelor’s degree in Physics or a related degree.

Otherwise, students can still be accepted into programs provided they can demonstrate competency in the following core physics courses: quantum mechanics, electromagnetic theory, statistical mechanics, and mathematical physics.

College graduates with a strong background in advanced mathematics, computational science, and engineering may also be a good fit for such a program.

Are GRE scores required? What are the other admission requirements?

GRE scores , as of writing, are optional, with some universities not requiring it at all. But make sure to check with the department’s admission office to confirm as GRE policies may change.

Other requirements are the usual ones required by graduate schools, such as letters of application, transcripts, essays, letters of recommendation, and a CV. 

What are the usual degree requirements? 

Accepted grad school entrants who still have to earn their master’s degree must complete a specific number of coursework credits. These need to be completed during the first two years of study.

Some rigorous programs are more stringent, requiring students to complete the coursework within the first year, with an added requirement of independent research to be presented and defended by the end of the second year of study.

A candidacy exam, which is usually oral, sometimes written, or a combination of both is required of students after completing the required coursework and before (or simultaneous with) the presentation of a dissertation proposal. This exam gauges the student’s core competency and readiness for doctoral research.

Once the committee has accepted the dissertation, which is usually in year 5 or 6, some programs require students to take another exam, usually an oral exam, synonymous with the dissertation defense. Once passed, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Physics can be awarded to the student.

How long does getting a Doctorate in Physics take, and is it worth the time and money?

Getting a Doctorate in Physics typically takes 3 to 5 years (or possibly more) of study and research. It is worth the time and money if you are looking to pursue a career in academia, research, or the technical industry.

In addition to increased job options, people with a doctorate usually have higher salaries and an edge in the job market. On the other hand, if you are looking to pursue a career in a different field, a Doctorate in Physics may not necessarily be the best investment.

Additional Resources:

• How to Become a Physicist
• What are the 5 Main Branches of Physics?
• Most Popular Doctorate Degree Programs

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The Top 50 Physics Programs in the World Today

Are you ready to discover your college program?

Physics Department Programs Today

There is no doubt that physics occupies a unique place amongst the sciences. The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded before the others which is in keeping with the field’s role as the cornerstone of science. In its theoretical expressions it borders on pure mathematics and even philosophy as great thinkers contemplate worlds existing in-between dimensions and beyond our current space time continuum.

Physics departments receive incredible funding and resources. Studying physics affords its pupils a myriad of choices from government research, medical applications, industrial uses, astronomy, and the study of the outer fringes of humanities knowledge. Physicists steer our most ambitious projects, from the Mars rovers to the Hubble Space Telescope. Governments will expend massive resources in order to win prestige through success in physics, as America’s moon landings, the European CERN hadron collider, and the growing interest in a mission to Mars show.

Methodology

From the QS World University Rankings, we identified the 50 best programs in the latest University Rankings for Physics .

Taking the QS ranking as our point of departure, we set their ranking against the ranking for physics programs produced by AcademicInfluence.com . Using machine learning and search algorithms to characterize academic influence on the web, AcademicInfluence.com avoids the human bias that infects most academic rankings.

The rankings uncovered by AcademicInfluence.com are based on the influential faculty and alum publications, citations, and references associated with a school, degree programs, departments, or discipline. This ranking by influence approach elevates a school or degree program based on which members of its academic community are objectively influential in a given discipline.

By weighing both the QS Programmatic World Rankings and Academic Influence’s rankings, we not only created a unique ranking of the top 50 physics programs, but we reveal why each university physics program appears where it does.

Featured Online Schools

The 50 best physics programs, 1. massachusetts institute of technology (mit).

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Many consider MIT to be the world’s leading science school. Located near other leading institutions, such as Harvard, MIT enjoys many collaborative research opportunities. Since the school’s founding in 1861, students have been exploring the field of physics through hands-on learning experiences. Offering some of the best undergraduate physics programs in the U.S., MIT’s Department of Physics has seen four Nobel Prize recipients and seven Oersted Medal recipients since 1990.

The physics department prides itself on its outreach efforts to underrepresented minorities and first-generation college students through its Summer Research Program and Physics Bridge Program. Learners who participate in these initiatives emerge as stronger candidates for the school’s graduate physics programs. MIT’s physics department works with 16 affiliated labs and centers , such as:

• The Haystack Radio Observatory
• The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory
• The Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
• The Research Laboratory of Electronics
• The Plasma Science and Fusion Center

2. Harvard University

Harvard’s Department of Physics has offered some of the best undergraduate physics programs since 1642.

Harvard also hosts the Jefferson Laboratory, the oldest physics lab in the U.S. Members of the department have received recognition for work in high-pressure physics, the invention of the separated oscillatory fields method, and the development of new methods for nuclear magnetic precision measurements. In total, the department can claims 10 Nobel Prize recipients.

Harvard’s campus hosts eight research centers:

• The Center for Ultracold Atoms
• The Center for Nanoscale Systems
• The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
• The Institute for Theoretical Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
• The Laboratory for Particle Physics and Cosmology
• The Minerals Research Science and Engineering Center
• The Rowland Institute

In addition, the school’s faculty and students have developed research relationships with:

• The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
• The Cornell Wilson Synchrotron Laboratory
• The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
• The Lawrence Livermore National Lab
• The Soudan Mines in Northern Minnesota
• The National Institute of Standards and Technology

3. University of Cambridge

Cambridge, England

By 1642, the study of theoretical and mathematical physics was available at Cambridge. In 1874, the Cavendish Laboratory opened, fostering the school’s first explorations of applied physics with some of the best physics programs available at that time. Past contributors to Cambridge’s Department of Physics include Ernest Rutherford, the father of nuclear physics, and Niels Bohr, who studied the structure and function of the atom. The discovery of the neutron, the first splitting of the atom, and the discovery of antimatter are also attributable to Cambridge professors and students. A total of 20 Nobel Prize in Physics recipient are associated with the university. The Cambridge physics department has several ongoing research programs like the Centre for Scientific Computing Collaboration, the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability, and the Centre for the Physics of Medicine.

4. Stanford University

Stanford, California

Stanford’s Physics Department was among the first to open after the university’s founding in 1891.

In 1934, Swiss physicist Felix Bloch began work at Stanford. He brought with him his theory of electron transport and ferromagnetism, the Bethe-Bloch equation, and his discovery of spin waves and Bloch walls. Recently, Stanford physicists played a key role in monitoring and analyzing the brightest gamma ray burst ever measured.

Offerings some of the best undergraduate physics programs in the U.S., the Stanford holds a record for three consecutive Nobel Prize recipients: Professor Robert Laughlin in 1998, Professor Steven Chu in 1997, and Professor Douglas Osheroff in 1996. A total of 18 Nobel Prize recipients associate with the school. Research centers affiliated with Stanford’s department of physics include:

• The Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials
• L. Ginzton Laboratory
• the Picosecond Free Electron Laser Center
• The W. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory
• The Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
• The PULSE Institute for Ultrafast Energy Science
• The Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences
• The Institute for Theoretical Physics

5. University of California – Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Berkeley’s Department of Physics operates within the College of Letters and Science. Approximately one-third of the Nobel Prize recipients associated with Berkeley come from the physics department; these recipients include nine full-time faculty members and seven alumni. The numerous achievements of past and present department members include the invention of the cyclotron, the invention of the bubble chamber, and the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the universe.

Unlike many other physics Ph.D. programs, Berkeley does not require its doctoral students to participate in dissertation defenses; instead, these students must prove effective research skills to peers and faculty through other means. Available research topics cover the full range of theoretical and experimental physics , such as:

• Astrophysics and cosmology
• Molecular and Optical Physics
• Condensed Matter
• Elementary Particles and Fields
• Fusion and Plasma
• Low-temperature Physics

Berkeley’s Department of Physics maintains research partnerships with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Space Sciences Laboratory, and the Molecular Design Institute. Students have access to a total of eight science libraries on campus; these libraries include the Physics-Astronomy Library.

6. (tie) University of Oxford

Oxford, England

Delivering a variety of physics master’s programs, Oxford’s Department of Physics falls under the Mathematical, Physical, and Life Sciences Division. Oxford’s physics departments is one of the largest physics department in the world and features more than 100 research groups and facilities, such as:

• The Accretion and Jet Physics Group
• The Beecroft Institute of Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
• The Climate Dynamics Group
• The Earth Observation Data Group
• The MARS Project
• The Oxford Centre for High Energy Density Science

There have been five Nobel laureates who studied or worked at Oxford.

The most recent of these was Anthony J. Leggett, who earned a Nobel Prize in 2003 for his pioneering work on superfluidity. Much of the history and archived material of Oxford’s physics department can be found in the school’s Museum of the History of Science. The department has also donated material to the Science Museum in London.

6. (tie) California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California

Unusually small for a world-class research institute, Caltech boasts a $2.5 billion endowment with plenty of funds for impressive laboratories and eminent professors in conjunction with small class sizes. This extends to the school’s physics department , housed within Caltech’s Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy. The department’s research centers and institutes include the Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, the Moore Center for Theoretical Cosmology and Physics, and the Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics.

Involved in both undergraduate and graduate programs, topics explored by Caltech’s department of physics include experimental elementary particle physics, gravitational wave astronomy, observational astrophysics, and condensed-matter physics. Students and faculty involved with the school’s physics graduate programs often work closely with professors and learners focusing on other sciences, including planetary science, chemistry, and engineering.

8. Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey

The history of the Department of Physics at Princeton dates to 1832 with the arrival of Professor Joseph Henry, an expert in natural philosophy. By the 1930s, the program expanded into researching nuclear physics under the direction of Milton G. White, at which point the university built a cyclotron in its Palmer Laboratory.

Over a dozen faculty members and students associated with Princeton have been awarded the Nobel Prize. These esteemed individuals have been a part of or credited with the discovery of the diffraction of electrons by crystals, the discovery of a new form of quantum fluid with fractionally charged excitations, and discoveries related to the structure of nucleons using electron scattering.

Princeton has a medical physics programs among its many offerings. It also maintains research relationships with various other departments at the school, including astrophysical sciences, mathematics, and molecular biology. The school also works with the Institute for Advanced Study, PRISM, PPPL, and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics.

9. Imperial College London

London, England, UK

The Department of Physics at Imperial College London dates back more than a century.

Nobel Prize winners, Fellows of the Royal Society, and many other prize-winning students and faculty call the department home. Today, it offers both undergraduate and graduate-level programs.

Graduate students can earn their master of science in one of eight areas, including optics and photonics, quantum fields and fundamental forces, plastic electronic materials, physics with nanophotonics, and quantum engineering. Full-time graduate students complete their coursework in a year; part-time students complete the same coursework over a two-year span. The school also offers 13 physics Ph.D. programs that explore areas such as astrophysics, condensed matter theory, high energy physics, and theoretical physics.

The physics department, one of the largest in the United Kingdom, recently grouped its primary areas of research into four major themes: fundamental physics; photon science; condensed matter physics; and space, plasma, and climate.

The department maintains an Industry Club to connect students to industries in their research areas. The club hosts an annual recruitment fair and a postgraduate research symposium to help connect students and employers while creating opportunities for research and development.

10. Columbia University

New York, New York

Delivering some of the best physics programs available, the graduate program Department of Physics at Columbia was formally created in 1892 and can claim association with 29 physics Nobel laureates. Michael Pupin, known for his work in X-rays and electromagnetism, served as a central figure in establishing the department. Additionally, the American Physical Society can trace its roots back to a meeting at Columbia in 1899.

On-campus facilities include:

• Columbia Astrophysics Lab
• The Microelectronics Sciences Laboratories
• Nevis Laboratories
• The CEPCR Cleanroom

Among the research centers and institutes on campus are the Center for Electron Transport in Molecular Nanostructures; the Institute for Strings, Cosmology, and Astroparticle Physics; and the Environmental Molecular Science Institute. Other departments associated with Columbia’s physics department include the Astronomy Department, the Electrical Engineering Department, and the Mathematics Department.

11. University of California – Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

UCLA enjoys a reputation as one of the premier research schools in the California public system by offering some of the best undergraduate physics programs in the U.S. The faculty members of the school’s Physics and Astronomy Department are particularly respected, especially for their role in the development of the X-ray free-electron laser and the advancement of high-end scientific computing. Research facilities on the UCLA campus include:

• Plasma Science and Technology Institute
• The California Nanosystems Institute
• The Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering
• The Institute for Digital Research and Education
• The Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics
• The Center for Biological Physics

Student opportunities outside the classroom include, such as:

• physics Education Research Journal Club
• The Research Experience for Undergraduates program
• The UCLA Science Lab Teaching Club
• The Society of Physics Students

Instructional support is available to UCLA students includes facilities like the Science and Engineering Library, the Division of Physical Sciences Machine Shop, and Instrument Fabrication Facility.

12. University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

A.A. Michelson, one of the most notable American scientists of his time, began work at UChicago in 1893. Since then, members of the school’s Department of Physics have made several significant contributions to the field; the contributions include the application of mass spectrometers to determine nuclear constants, the discovery that the proton has an excited state, and the construction of the Fermi National Accelerator. A total of 29 recipients of the Nobel Prize in physics are connected with UChicago, which features a variety of physics master’s programs.

On-campus research centers and institutes at UChicago include:

• The Enrico Fermi Institute
• The James Franck Institute
• The Institute for Biophysical Dynamics
• The Computation Institute
• The Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics
• The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center
• The ASC Center for Astrophysical Thermonuclear Flashes
• The Institute for Molecular Engineering

13. Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Cornell’s contributions to the field of physics have proved so important that a comprehensive history of the growth and achievements of the school’s Department of Physics was captured by the late Paul Hartman in his book titled The Cornell Physics Department . In particular, the department boasts acclaim for Nobel Prize-winning work in low-temperature physics and theoretical astrophysics.

Two major laboratories comprise most research in Ph.D. physics programs at Cornell: the Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics and the Laboratory for Elementary Particle Physics. The department also manages the Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-based Sciences and Education. This facility stimulate interest in the sciences with its Xraise outreach program. Other affiliated institutions include:

• The Cornell Nanoscale Science and Technology Facility
• The Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source
• The Center for Materials Research
• The Kavli Institute

14. Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

There have been at least eight Nobel laureates associated with the Department of Physics at Yale, including Raymond Davis Jr., David Lee, and Ernest Lawrence. Yale has several on-campus research centers on campus that cater to physics students; these centers include:

• The Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics
• The Wright Laboratory
• The Center for Quantum Information Physics
• The Center for Microelectronic Materials and Structures
• The Institute for Nanoscience and Quantum Engineering
• The Sackler Institute

Yale’s physics department hosts three outreach programs: the Yale Physics Olympics allows teams of high school students to compete in performing basic physics experiments, Girls’ Science Investigations provides hands-on experience to encourage young women in physics and the sciences, and the APS Conference caters to undergraduate women in physics.

15. ETH Zürich

Zürich, Switzerland

Of the 21 Nobel laureates associated with ETH Zürich, eight have been students or faculty from the Department of Physics ; these include Heinrich Rohrer, Felix Bloch, and Albert Einstein. Rudolf Clausius, famous for his formulation of the second law of thermodynamics, was the first chair of the institute’s physics department.

Four institutes manage research within the physics department at ETH Zürich: the Institute for Quantum Electronics, the Institute for Theoretical Physics, the Laboratory for Solid-State Physics, and the Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics. Featuring some of the best physics programs in the country, the department conducts research in a wide variety of areas within the field, like innovative technologies, computational sciences , and supercomputing.

Scientific facilities affiliated with the department include:

• The European Organization for Nuclear Research
• The High-Energy Accelerator Research Organization
• The Paul Scherrer Institute

16. The University of Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan

Kenjiro Yamakawa was the first Japanese professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Tokyo and in 1888 became the first member of the physics faculty to hold a doctorate. In 2002, the school’s professor Masatoshi Koshiba received the Nobel Prize in physics for using the Kamiokande detector to detect the first neutrinos from a supernova.

UTokyo’s physics department focuses primarily on astrophysics; the department is supported by the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. In addition, the school’s physics department also served as the birthplace of the study of biophysics in Japan.

The department traditionally celebrates the Newton Festival (which commemorates Isaac Newton) as an opportunity for professional and academic networking. More than 90% of undergraduate students in UTokyo’s physics department progress to the graduate school to undertake physics master’s programs or physics Ph.D. programs.

17. University of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario

The Department of Physics at U of T has 115 years of academic history. Sir John C. McLennan and John Tuzo Wilson both helped to shape the department’s foundations. As part of the school’s physics graduate programs, the department conducts research in three main areas: planetary physics, quantum optics and condensed matter physics, and subatomic physics. The research group on condensed matter physics features several strong research associations, including relationships with:

• Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
• The Experimental Nonlinear Physics Group
• The Center for Quantum Materials
• The Highly Efficient Applications of Thermoelectronics Research program

Other organizations affiliated with U of T’s physics department include:

• Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics
• The Institute for Aerospace Studies
• The Institute for Optical Sciences
• The Institute of Particle Physics

In addition, U of T runs the Museum of Scientific Instruments, which is managed by volunteer graduate students and faculty members.

18. (tie) University of California – Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

Dating back to only 1944, the Department of Physics at UCSB has earned an impressive amount of respect since its creation. The department’s current staff includes three Nobel Prize recipients and 16 members of the National Academies, and most its professors possess experience in theoretical or experimental physics and high-energy theoretical physics. Research organizations associated with UCSB’s physics department include:

• The California NanoSystems Institute
• The Center for Polymers and Organic Solids
• The Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering
• The Institute for Terahertz Science and Technology
• The WM Keck Observatory

For highly motivated and talented students, UCSB’s undergraduate physics program offers a joint degree with the university’s College of Creative Studies.

The university’s physics graduate programs include a Ph.D. in physics with an emphasis on astrophysics.

18. (tie) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, Illinois

As early as 1870, Dean and Professor Stillman Robinson introduced the study of physics to the University of Illinois. Just two years later, the school’s Physics Laboratory started producing quality research as part of physics master’s programs and physics Ph.D. programs.

Since its inception, the university’s Department of Physics has been associated with 13 Nobel laureates, including John Bardeen, the only person to win two Nobel Prizes in physics. The various recipients have been recognized for their contributions to the theory of superconductors and superfluids, the invention of the separated oscillatory fields method, discoveries concerning the classification of elementary particles and their interactions, the discovery of the antiproton, and the determination of the magnetic moment of the electron.

Facilities on campus include:

• Physics Machine Shop
• The Physics Liquid Helium Facility
• The Physics Interaction Room
• The Virtual Physics and Astronomy Library

Departmental community outreach includes the physics van, a traveling science show for kids.

20. Technical University of Munich

Munich, Germany

Technical University Munich (Technische Universität München) offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics.

The Physics Department at TUM remains one of the largest and most well-regarded in Germany. Faculty members boast expertise in biophysics, nanotechnology, novel materials, cosmology, condensed matter physics, and nuclear physics. The department serves as home to several Nobel laureates, including Erwin Neher, Wolfgang Ketterle, Klaus von Klitzing, and Johann Deisenhofer. In addition to Nobel Prizes, scientists affiliated with the department received four Leibniz prizes and 17 grants from the European Research Council.

The department includes research groups that explore areas such as dark matter, the physics of synthetic biological systems, neutron scattering, functional materials, and biomedical physics. The school’s four research centers — including a center for nanotechnology and materials and the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Research Neutron Source — attract scholars and scientists from across the globe.

The school’s proximity to Munich — the country’s main location for research and technology industries — creates a smooth pathway between graduation and employment for students in the physics master’s program. Students in TUM’s physics department also enjoy access to nearby amenities such as Europe’s fastest supercomputer, a tandem accelerator, and research institutes such as the Max Planck Institutes.

21. University of Manchester

Manchester, England

The University of Manchester delivers some of the best undergraduate physics programs through its School of Physics and Astronomy . The distinguished Ernest Rutherford, who was employed by the university as a professor, is credited with the discovery of the atomic nucleus in 1910. There have been a total of 13 Nobel Prize recipients, including Rutherford, linked to Manchester. The most recent laureates associated with the school are professors Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov; they won the award for their work on graphene in 2010.

Research facilities at Manchester include the Jodrell Bank Observatory, which houses the famous Lovell Telescope, and the Photon Science Institute. Students and faculty also conduct multidisciplinary research in the Center for Nonlinear Dynamics, the Dalton Nuclear Institute, and the Mesoscience and Nanotechnology Center.

International facilities utilized by researchers involved with Manchester’s physics programs include the Hubble Space Telescope, XMM-Newton X-ray Telescope, the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope, the Diamond Light Source at RAL, the 88-Inch Cyclotron at the Lawrence-Berkeley Laboratory, and CERN in Geneva, Switzerland.

22. The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, Texas

John W. Mallet was the first Chairman of the Faculty when UT Austin opened in 1883; he was a professor of chemistry and physics. Currently the university’s Department of Physics faculty boasts three members of the National Academy of Science and one recipient of the Nobel Prize.

Featuring some of the best undergraduate physics programs in the U.S., UT Austin’s physics department manages seven organized research units and three research groups. Research facilities include a large-scale cryogenic laboratory, nuclear magnetic and electron paramagnetic resonance laboratories, and facilities for turbulent flow and nonlinear dynamic experiments. In addition, the department maintains an international partnership with the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Wurzburg in Wurzburg, Germany. Community outreach programs involved with UT Austin’s physics department include the Alice in Wonderland summer program and the traveling Physics Circus for K-12 schools.

23. École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Lausanne, Switzerland

The physics department at EPFL, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, boasts 40 full-time faculty members and 50 senior researchers.

At the doctoral level, around 150 students pursue their degrees in physics which creates a strong presence in the school’s research labs.

The physics section at EPFL offers some of the country’s best physics programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Students earning their master of science (MS) in physics complete a four-month thesis project at a lab in the school’s Research Institutes of Physics, where many students publish their research in well-regarded publications. Graduate students can also earn their MS in nuclear engineering. At the bachelor’s level, students not only learn about the experimental and theoretical aspects of physics, but they also explore topics in the humanities to better understand the philosophical and real-world implications of the discipline.

The Institute of Physics at EPFL focuses on five areas of physics: physics for energy, particle and astrophysics, condensed matter physics, quantum science and technology, and biophysics and complex systems. The Institute’s labs boast various support systems, including a crystal growth/X-ray facility, mechanical and electronic workshops that assemble equipment necessary for research, and clean rooms for micro- and nano-fabrication.

24. University of Maryland

College Park, Maryland

The graduate programs available through UMD’s Department of Physics have been ranked 14th by U.S. News & World Report . Students completing physics graduate programs at UMD enjoy many excellent opportunities outside of the classroom, including participation in the school’s Graduate Resources for Advancing Diversity with Maryland Astronomy and Physics initiative. Other experiences open to students include the Society of Physics Students, the Women in Physics program, and the S-STEM program, which provides financial assistance and field experience to qualifying students. The S-STEM program receives its funding from the National Science Foundation.

UMD’s campus hosts 16 laboratories and research centers, including the Center for Scientific Computation and Mathematical Modeling, the Condensed Matter Theory Center, the Institute for Physical Science and Technology, the Joint Quantum Institute, the Physics Frontier Center, and the Joint Space-Science Institute.

25. Kyoto University

Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto University was founded in June 1897.

One year later, the school opened its Department of Physics . The department focuses on four research groups: condensed matter, particle physics, nuclear physics, and astrophysics. Research centers on campus at KyotoU include the Data Analysis Center for Geomagnetism and Space Magnetism and the Institute for Geothermal Sciences. The school also hosts two observatories: the Hida Observatory and the Kwasan Observatory. Both facilities focus on solar physics, cosmic plasma physics, and stellar physics.

Three notable figures associated with the physics department at KyotoU have won the Nobel Prize: in 1949, Hideki Yukawa received recognition for his prediction of the existence of mesons through theoretical work in nuclear forces; in 1965, Sin-Itiro Tomonaga was recognized for his work in quantum electrodynamics; in 2008, Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa were recognized for the discovery of the origin of broken symmetry and the prediction of three families of quarks in nature.

26. University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan

The University of Michigan serves students as one of the largest state schools in the country. In existence since the late 1800s, the school’s Physics Department ranks 13th in the United States according to U.S. News & World Report and offers some of the best physics programs available. Over the years, several renowned professors and researchers have worked within the department, including H. Richard Crane, David Dennison, Samuel A. Goudsmit, Otto Laporte, and George Uhlenbeck.

On U-M’s campus, the Demonstration Laboratory caters to faculty-requested experiments. An instrument/machine shop produces items for the Physics Department, while the electronics shop fabricates items for the high-energy physics research groups. Other research centers associated with the department include the Center for Ultrafast Optical Science and the Leinweber Center for Theoretical Physics. Students can choose to complete affiliated programs in space physics and complex systems. In addition, undergraduate physics students at U-M can work as a paid research assistant — part-time or full-time — during the summer.

27. Peking University

Beijing, China

Established in 1913, the School of Physics at Peking University in China harbors departments for physics, atmospheric and oceanic sciences, and astronomy. In physics, it offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Each year, the school accepts roughly 200 graduate students; 100 of these are in its physics master’s program and the other 100 are in its Ph.D. program. At the undergraduate level, roughly a third of all students continue on to earn their advanced degrees at top international institutions.

The School of Physics employs roughly 200 personnel, many of whom boast national distinctions. For instance, 15 faculty members identify as Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2018, Peking University professors Jian Wang and Xincheng Xie spearheaded research that ultimately discovered log-periodic quantum oscillation. The year before, a graduate of the school’s Ph.D. program received the Ph.D. prize from the International Astronomical Union; they were one of three graduates to receive the prize since its establishment.

The school boasts a strong collaborative research presence. After celebrating its 100th anniversary, it began hosting an annual lecture series that attracts scholars from around the world, cultivating dialogue in the physical sciences. Three of the school’s research groups receive sponsorship from the National Natural Science Foundation of China: QCD and Hadron Physics, Biological Networks, and Femtosecond Optical Physics and Mesoscopic Optics.

28. Sapienza University of Rome

Rome, Italy

Italy’s Sapienza University of Rome dates to the 1300s. More than 700 years later, Sapienza still stands in the heart of Italy’s capital. With more than 100,000 students, it is the country’s largest university. The school’s physics department is one of the largest and most active departments on campus.

Students can earn a three-year undergraduate degree in physics, a master’s in physics, or a doctoral degree in physics. The undergraduate degree, which explores physics, applied physics, and astrophysics, prepares students to enter physics graduate programs. The school offers two master’s programs, one in physics and one in astronomy and astrophysics. At the doctoral level, students can pursue a Ph.D. in physics, astronomy, or accelerator physics through the university’s Doctoral School in Astronomical, Chemical, Physical, Mathematics and Earth Sciences.

The department boasts one of the most active research bodies in the school, with more than 300 researchers and faculty members. The department’s research covers diverse areas including physics of matter, cybernetic electronics and informatics, medical physics, geophysics, and physics of the environment. It also engages in interdisciplinary subjects like physics and cultural heritage and history of physics. The department hosts facilities in conjunction with the Institute of Nuclear Physics, the National Research Council, the Italian Space Agency, and the National Institute of Physics of Matter.

29. Tsinghua University

Located in Beijing, China, Tsinghua University’s Department of Physics is one of the best physics programs in the country. Today, the school fosters international collaboration by sending its scholars to different countries and inviting many scholars from abroad to study in Beijing.

After its inception, the department experienced several disruptions because of war and politics. In the 1930s, the department briefly merged with departments at Peking University and Nankai University. During this time, the triumvirate of academic centers, known then as the Physics Department of Southwest Associated University, produced two Nobel Prize winners. The physics department at Tsinghua emerged as an autonomous entity in 1982. It is now a power within China’s academic system.

Today, the school boasts four research institutes that focus on:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• High Energy and Nuclear Physics
• Atomic, Molecular, and Optic Physics
• Astrophysics.

It also harbors seven interdisciplinary research centers that focus on research in nanophysics; quantum science and technology; and atomic, molecular, and nanoscience. Two laboratories, the State Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Quantum Physics and the Virtual Laboratory for Material Design, aid in campus-based research.

30. LMU Munich

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) boasts a multi-century long history that reaches back to 1472. Since then, the school has grown to service more than 50,000 students and now hosts one of the largest physics departments in Germany, with some of the best physics graduate programs in the country. LMU’s Department of Physics can claim association with many notable figures, including Wilhelm Wien of Wien’s displacement law. In 2005, LMU professor Theodor Hänsch received a Nobel Prize for the development of laser-based precision spectroscopy.

The many excellent research laboratories and centers on LMU’s campus include the Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics, the Center for NanoScience, and the Laboratory for Extreme Photonics. The school also hosts the Maier-Leibnitz Laboratory, a joint facility co-managed by the Technische Universität München.

31. National University of Singapore

National University of Singapore features a strong, research-intensive Department of Physics .

Physics research at NUS began in earnest in the 1990s when the country’s National Science and Technology Board launched a plan to spur research and development. The NUS used funds from this initiative to create the Center for Superconducting and Magnetic Materials, the Center for Quantum Technologies, a Surface Science Laboratory, and the Center for Advanced 2D Materials.

Today, the department focuses on eight major research areas:

• Graphene and 2D Materials
• Quantum Information
• Physics of Nanoscience
• Biological Physics
• Condensed Matter and Advanced Materials
• Physics of Nonlinear and Complex Systems
• Atomic Molecular Physics
• Particle Physics
• String Theory

In conjunction with these research interests, the school serves as home to centers like the Center for Quantum Technology and the Center for Ion Beam Application.

Students at NUS can earn their undergraduate degree in physics or enroll in postgraduate programs. Students can pursue a physics Ph.D. or master of science degree (MS) by way of research. Students less interested in research can pursue an MS in physics or applied physics by way of coursework.

32. Tokyo Institute of Technology

Housed within the School of Science, the Department of Physics at Tokyo Institute of Technology in Tokyo, Japan offers undergraduate and graduates degrees in physics. Undergrads can earn their bachelor of science in physics while graduate students can pursue a master of arts, master of science, doctor of science, or doctor of philosophy in physics. Undergraduate students and those in physics graduate programs enjoy access to critical research equipment, from small, tailor-made devices to accelerators.

Graduate students can participate in the school’s International Physics Leadership Program, which prepares them to navigate the global physics community. Students in the program travel abroad to attend conferences, present research, or participate in research at a foreign lab or university. Students also learn how to organize and host their own international physics conference. To further encourage international exchanges, the department regularly invites researchers to hold seminars dedicated to nanoscience and quantum physics.

The school boasts numerous research labs that explore multiple subjects. Some areas of research include subatomic physics, problems in cosmology, novel optical physics, and explosions in the distant universe. Researchers benefit from centers such as the Research Center for Low Temperature Physics and the Advanced Instrumentation Laboratory for Physics.

33. (tie) Lomonosov Moscow State University

Moscow, Russia

The Faculty of Physics at Lomonosov Moscow State University offers one of the best physics programs in Russia. The school harbors eight divisions: nuclear physics, geophysics, astronomy, solid-state physics, radiophysics, applied mathematics, experimental and theoretical physics, and complementary education. Students can also take courses in engineering physics and management of research and high technologies. To support interdisciplinary research, the school offers several research centers, including a Center for Hydrophysical Research, a Center for Computer Physics, and a Center for Information Tools and Technology.

Students can earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in physics. Graduate students can choose from one of 38 master’s programs. The programs cover diverse topics like:

• Low-temperature physics
• Plasma physics
• Physics of the atmosphere and near-Earth space
• Physics of the sea and land
• Physics of accelerators and radiation medicine
• Medical physics

Graduates of the Faculty of Physics lead important careers.

Eight Nobel Prize recipients either taught at or earned their degrees from the program. Additionally, 170 faculty members earned a state prize for scientific achievements, while another 38 received a Lenin prize. Research takes place at the school’s campus in Moscow, at the Russian Academy of Science, and at universities around the world.

33. (tie) University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Scotland

In 1993, the University of Edinburgh merged its physics and astronomy departments to create its School of Physics and Astronomy . All the academic and research staff of the school belong to at least one of four institutes on campus: the Institute for Astronomy, the Institute for Condensed Matter and Complex Systems, the Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics, or the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre.

In addition to offering some of the best physics programs, the school also hosts four multidisciplinary research centers:

• The Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions
• The Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics
• The Tait Institute for Mathematical Physics
• The UK Centre for Astrobiology

Nobel laureates associated with the University of Edinburgh include:

• Peter Higgs in 2013, for his work in predicting the Higgs boson
• Igor Tamm in 1958, for the joint discovery and interpretation of the Cherenkov-Vavilov effect
• Sir Edward Appleton in 1947, for his contribution to the development of radar
• Charles Barkla in 1917, for his discovery of characteristic X-ray elements

35. École polytechnique

Paris, France

Located in the heart of Paris, École Polytechnique dates back more than 200 years to the Age of Enlightenment. Today, it serves as one of France’s most highly regarded institutions for science and engineering and attracts students from across the world. Many graduates and employees of the school lead meaningful careers. In 2018, former physics faculty member Gerard Mourou received a Nobel Prize for his work with laser pulses.

The Department of Physics serves a critical role within the larger institution, where its research informs advancements in technology and engineering. The department operates two laboratories in conjunction with the school’s chemistry and biology departments. It also carries out research at the École Polytechnique Research Center, where its primary interests involve:

• Condensed Matter, Materials, and Energy
• Nanoscience, Nanotechnology, Information, and Communications
• Optics, Lasers, and Plasmas
• The Physics of the Two Infinities

Students at École Polytechnique can earn a four-year degree in physics. During the fourth year, students can pursue a specialization either at École Polytechnique or abroad. This specialization may feed into a physics graduate program. Students also participate in a semester-long project or internship. Additionally, the school offers a two-year master’s in physics and applications program.

36. Seoul National University

Seoul, South Korea

Seoul National University dates to the late 1800s. In 1946, it officially became the first national university in Korea. Located in Seoul, South Korea, SNU boasts the largest campus in the city and operates 15 colleges, 11 professional schools, and a graduate school.

Its physics department , housed within the School of Natural Sciences, offers a four-year bachelor’s degree, a master of science in physics, and a doctoral degree in physics.

The department of physics and astronomy’s faculty comprises SNU professors, visiting professors, staff, students in the physics Ph.D. program, and researchers. Physics research groups within the department explore areas such as elementary particle physics, dark matter, string theory, condensed matter, and quantum field theory. SNU researchers involved in the Hadron physics lab work alongside scientists from the U.S. and Japan.

The department features new buildings and research centers, including two Centers for Excellence: (1) The Korea Neutrino Research Center and (2) the Research Center for Terahertz-Based BioApplication Systems.

37. Universität Heidelberg

Heidelberg, Germany

At Universität Heidelberg, an institute that dates to the 14th century, physics and astronomy share a home within the Department of Physics and Astronomy . Over the years, the department served as home to many notable figures in physics. Past Nobel Laureates Hans Jenson, Walther Bothe, and Philipp Lenard all taught in the department. The school’s Kirchoff Institute for Physics is named for the physicist Gustav Kirchoff, who spent more than two decades at Heidelberg.

Today, the department offers a bachelor of science in physics, a master of science in physics, and doctoral degrees. The bachelor’s program requires three semesters of coursework in which students can specialize in areas like medical physics, environmental physics, biophysics, computer science , mineralogy, economics, mathematics, and biology. After six semesters, students can continue on to the physics master’s program, which requires two additional years of study. The first year involves seminars and lectures while the following year involves an independent research project. Professors typically teach in English with some German.

Learners in the doctoral program can earn a specialization within either the department of physics or through one of its affiliated research schools. Graduate students can also specialize in one of the department’s research programs that focus on simulational methods in physics, high resolution and high rate detectors in nuclear and particle physics, or particle physics beyond the standard model.

38. Australian National University

Canberra, Australia

ANU’s Research School of Physics and Engineering lies within the university’s College of Science. The school features ten research departments, including the Atomic and Molecular Physics Laboratories, the Center for Plasmas and Fluids, and the Plasma Research Laboratory. ANU’s physics department functions as the largest university-based research and teaching department in the nation; it houses the country’s largest accelerator and the H1-NF National Stellarator Facility. The department also works with four ARC centers of Excellence and three Australian research networks.

Research facilities on the ANU campus include:

• 14UD Heavy Ion Accelerator
• The Australian Facility for Advanced Ion Implantation Research
• The H-1NF National Plasma Fusion Facility
• The National Laboratory for X-ray Micro Computed Tomography
• The Superconducting Linear Accelerator

In addition, the university’s physics department manages photonics minilabs as part of its physics educational outreach.

39. University College London

London, England

Located in the historic Bloomsbury district, University College of London boasts a strong Department of Physics and Astronomy . Three Nobel prize winners are affiliated with UCL, including Francis Crick, who helped discover the double-helix structure of DNA. Today, the physics department champions equality and diversity. It even received a Juno Champion Award, which recognized it as one of the best physics programs to address the under-representation of women in the field.

The department offers undergraduate programs, including a three-year bachelor of science in physics, astrophysics, and theoretical physics. Students can continue for another year to earn their master of science (MS) in physics, astrophysics, or theoretical physics. The department also offers several postgraduate programs such as its MS or postgraduate diploma in biological physics, quantum technologies, planetary science, and nanotechnology.

Doctoral students who pursue their Ph.D. in physics at UCL can join one of five research groups: high energy particle physics; biological physics; astrophysics and atmospheric physics; condensed matter and materials physics and biological physics; and atomic molecular, optical, and positron physics. Students interested in space science can also pursue a Ph.D. with the Mullard Space Science Laboratory.

40. National Taiwan University

Taipei, Taiwan

Renamed National Taiwan University in 1945, the school originally started under Japanese colonial administration in the late 1920s. Today, NTU boasts 11 colleges, 108 graduate institutes, and 54 departments. Its Department of Physics , established in 1946, serves as the oldest center for physics and physics research in the country. Today, it offers degrees at the undergraduate and graduate level. It also boasts nearly 100 academic awards. Students in the school’s physics graduate programs can earn their master’s or Ph.D. in physics, astrophysics, or applied physics.

The department features 11 labs, including a string theory group; a nanomagnetism lab; a superconductor and low-temperature electronics lab; a microscopic biophysics and biophotonics laboratory; an optoelectronics, medical physics, and biomedical engineering lab, and a cleanroom. The department also holds affiliations with the Graduate Institute of Astrophysics, the Graduate Institute of Applied Physics, the Center for Theoretical Sciences, and the Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics.

Students can also attend special seminars that draw visiting academics and researchers from all over the world. In 2018 alone, the school hosted scholars from Germany, China, Japan, Canada, Singapore, and the U.S. Additionally, the department hosts regular colloquiums.

41. Tohoku University

Sendai, Japan

Tohoku University hosts one of the oldest and largest physics departments in Japan. Founded in 1911, the school’s Department of Physics has been working with the university’s Research Center for Prediction of Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions since its establishment in 1997. Other research institutes affiliated with Tohoku University’s physics department include the Planetary Plasma and Atmospheric Research Center, the Research and Analytic Center for Giant Molecules, and the Museum of Natural History, which features over two million specimen samples.

Research-related institutions within the physics department at Tohoku University include the Center for Electron Photon Science, the Institute for Materials Research, the International Research Institute of Disaster Science, and the Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center. Associated institutions outside the university include the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency, NTT Basic Research Laboratories, and the National Institute for Environmental Studies.

42. (tie) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Karlsruhe, Germany

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology originated in the 19th century as Karlsruhe University but legally emerged as KIT in 2009. Today, the school’s Department of Physics offers a bachelor of science and a master of science in physics, geophysics, and meteorology.

Undergraduates take courses in experimental and theoretical physics, mathematics, computer programming, and key skills such as patent law, English, or project management. To graduate, students first complete a thesis in which they solve an independent problem. Those earning their master’s in physics complete an internship component. The physics master’s program further investigates topics introduced in the bachelor’s program.

The department consists of nine institutes that each have a unique research focus. Examples of these institutes include applied physics, experimental particle physics, geophysics, meteorological and climate research, theoretical solid-state physics, and theory of condensed matter. Other KIT institutes associated with the physics department include the Institute of Nuclear Physics, the Institute of Nanotechnology, and the Laboratory for Electron Microscopy.

Research interests in the school’s physics department fall into three centers for excellence: The Cluster of Excellence “3D Matter Made to Order” (in collaboration with Heidelberg University), the KIT Center for Elementary Particle and Astroparticle Physics, and the Center for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology.

43. Osaka University

Osaka, Japan

Osaka University dates to 1931. The school’s Department of Physics emerged at this time under the auspices of the school’s first president, the physicist H. Nagaoka. Since its establishment, the department has served as home to notable physicists and scholars such as H. Yagi, S. Kikuchi and the first Japanese Nobel laureate, H. Yukawa. In recent years, the school’s faculty boasted professors T. Nagamiya and J. Kanamori. Today, the department’s research focuses include nuclear physics, condensed matter physics, computational physics, and elementary particle physics. It also engages in interdisciplinary physics.

Undergraduates at Osaka University in Japan can earn a bachelor of science in physics. The four-year program lets students tailor their studies to meet their goals. At the graduate level, students can earn a master of science or Ph.D. in physics. The master’s degree requires two years of study while the doctoral degree requires three.

Students in the physics master’s program attend lectures and complete coursework with minimal research requirements, while doctoral candidates engage in more research. Each student joins a research group that aligns with his or her interests. Current research groups explore topics like interface physics and the theory of electrons in solids, particle, and nuclear reactions.

44. Nanyang Technological University

NTU emerged in 1991 as a teaching University. Nearly 30 years later, it boasts an enrollment of over 30,000. Located in western Singapore, the school’s campus features environmentally friendly buildings. The campus serves as home to the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, which contains the department of Physics and Applied Physics .

Physics and Applied Physics undergrads at NTU can earn their bachelor of science in physics. They can also minor in physics or concentrate in nanotechnology, semiconductor technology, or optical technology. The department also offers a medical physics program. During their final two semesters of study, undergrads complete a research project that culminates in a thesis, oral exam, and presentation. In lieu of the final project, students may complete a professional internship.

At the graduate level, NTU offers a master’s in physics and a four-year Ph.D. in physics. Both degrees require students to compose and defend a thesis. Doctoral candidates work with faculty members who boast expertise in photonics; soft matter physics; quantum information; spintronics; condensed-matter physics; biophysics; and atomic, molecularly, and optical physics. Students and researchers enjoy facilities and labs to support their research.

45. University of British Columbia

Vancouver, British Columbia

UBC in Vancouver, Canada boasts an active and collaborative physics program. The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers several physics degree options. Students can earn their bachelor of science in physics or pursue a combined major in physics and oceanography or physics and computer science. Students can also earn a bachelor of applied science in engineering physics. The department helps connect students to research, career, and volunteer opportunities.

At the graduate level, the school offers a master of science in physics, medical physics, and astronomy. It also offers a master of applied science in engineering physics. At the doctoral level, students can pursue a Ph.D. in physics or astronomy; the school even offers a medical physics program. Graduate students can participate in interdisciplinary programs such as Isotopes for Science and Medicine CREATE group, a program that bridges departments and explores the use of nuclear isotopes in medicine and science.

Researchers in the department work in areas like medical physics, condensed matter, particle and nuclear physics, and theoretical physics. Students in research groups enjoy access to several facilities and state-of-the-art equipment. The school’s campus hosts TRIUMPH, a particle and nuclear physics facility that houses the world’s largest cyclotron, a feature that attracts scientists from all over the world.

46. (tie) Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University, a private research institution in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, began as a technical school in 1900. Today, it boasts seven schools and colleges, including the Mellon College of Science, which is home to the Department of Physics .

CMU’s physics department offers one of the best undergraduate physics programs in the U.S. Its relatively small faculty — around 35 professors and 10 staff members — results in a focused scope of research interests. The department prides itself on excellence in cosmology, biological physics, quantum electronics, and subatomic physics. The McWilliam’s Center for Cosmology supports research in computer science, astrophysics, and particle physics within the department and other branches of the university.

The department offers a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in physics. Students can also pursue a Ph.D. in applied physics in collaboration with CMU’s Data Storage System Center, the Materials Science and Engineering Department, the Robotics Institute, and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. To earn a master’s in physics, students must plan to pursue their Ph.D. — all doctoral candidates earn their master’s after their second year of study. Students who wish to earn only their master’s degree may do so, but without financial aid.

47. (tie) University of Melbourne

Melbourne, Australia

Founded in 1853, the University of Melbourne is one of Australia’s premier universities. Its curriculum, the Melbourne Model, stresses both depth and breadth of knowledge, and it prepares students to enter a global, interdisciplinary workforce.

Its School of Physics dates to the 1860s when the first physics lectures took place within the department of medicine. The School of Physics emerged in 1945. The school now offers degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Undergrads can earn their bachelor of science in philosophy. Graduate students can pursue a master of science and a Ph.D. or master of philosophy in physics. The physics master’s program blends coursework and a research project while the doctoral degrees primarily involve research. Students can also earn their graduate diploma in science or a graduate certificate in science.

The School of Physics’ six primary areas of research include, such as:

• Astrophysics
• Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Experimental Particle Physics
• Optical Physics
• Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
• Theoretical Particle Physics

To facilitate research in these areas, the school participates in four Centers of Excellence dedicated to all-sky astrophysics, advanced molecular imaging, particle physics, and quantum computation and communication technology. Each center, funded through the Australian Research Council, encourages international collaboration.

47. (tie) Universität Hamburg

Hamburg, Germany

The earliest physics classes at Hamburg University in Hamburg, Germany, date to the early 1600s. However, today’s Hamburg University did not emerge until 1919. This same year, the State Physical Laboratory became the State Institute of Physics, an official entity of the school — launching its physics program in earnest. The school’s Department of Physics now offers programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. It also offers teacher training courses.

Students can pursue their bachelor of science degree in either physics or nanoscience. Students can choose to continue their studies in the school’s two-year physics master’s program, which offers degrees in the same areas as the bachelor’s program. Students pursuing their master’s spend a year focusing on subjects like laser physics and photonics, solid state and nanostructure physics, astronomy and astrophysics, and elementary particle and accelerator physics. The second year consists of research.

At the doctoral level, students can pursue whichever area of physics aligns with their interests and goals. Research groups within the department fall into three main areas of expertise: laser physics and photon science, solid-state physics and nanoscience, and particle physics and astrophysics. Doctoral students can also work with affiliated entities like the Max Planck Institute, which offers its own Ph.D. program.

49. (tie) Delft University of Technology

Delft, Netherlands

Delft University of Technology, based in Delft, Netherlands, offers research programs and a variety of research facilities. The school’s physics programs, from the bachelor’s to doctoral level, fall within the Faculty of Applied Sciences department.

Students can earn their bachelor of science in applied physics or double-major in applied physics and applied mathematics. All major courses take place in Dutch. At the master’s level, students can earn their master of science in applied physics at TU Delft. Those wanting to pursue a master’s in physics can do so through TU Delft’s partner program at Leiden University.

In the master’s program at TU Delft, students choose among one of five tracks: physics for energy, physics for fluids engineering, physics for health and life, physics for instrumentation, and physics for quantum devices and quantum computing. Each track provides students with the knowledge and experience necessary for applying physics in real-world settings. Master’s coursework takes place primarily in English.

Ph.D. candidates work in research groups within the Faculty of Applied Physics department. Research areas include imaging physics, radiation science and technology, bionanoscience, and quantum nanoscience. Earning a doctoral degree through TU Delft’s physics Ph.D. program typically takes four years, with an additional two years of postgraduate opportunities that culminate in a Professional Doctorate of Engineering.

50. (tie) University of Amsterdam

Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Institute of Physics at University of Amsterdam boasts three research divisions: The Institute for High Energy Physics, the Institute for Theoretical Physics Amsterdam, and the Van der Waals-Zeeman Institute, which focuses on quantum gases and quantum information, soft matter, and hard condensed matter research. These institutes and the research they support play a central role in the school’s undergraduate, master’s, and physics Ph.D. programs.

At the undergraduate level, students can earn their bachelor of science in physics and astronomy through a joint program with UvA and Vrije University, another institution in Amsterdam. The bachelor of science in physics and astronomy takes place in Dutch. Students interested in a program that blends humanities and science can pursue a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in physics at Amsterdam University College in conjunction with UvA and VU. Courses are taught in English.

At the master’s level, students can pursue a master of science in physics and astronomy through UvA and VU. The combined programs allow students to take advantage of the established networks and facilities at both schools. The program takes place exclusively in English and culminates in a thesis project.

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Doctorate recipients from the physics major at University of Arizona earn $7,483 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

Doctorate graduates who receive their degree from the physics program make an average of $75,527 in their early career salary.

Soon after graduating, physics doctorate recipients generally make around $79,371 in the first five years of their career.

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William H. Miller III Department of Physics & Astronomy

• Admissions and Transfers
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• Graduate Program Statistics

Graduate programs in physics and astronomy at Johns Hopkins University are among the top programs in the field. Students engage in original research starting in their first semester and have flexibility in choosing their course of research and designing their path through the program. A wide range of research projects—both theoretical and experimental—are available in astrophysics, atomic, molecular & optical physics, biological physics, condensed matter physics, and particle physics. Graduate students can work toward a PhD in either physics or astronomy and astrophysics. Our doctoral students are prepared for careers in physics and astronomy research, teaching, or in applications such as biophysics, space physics, and industrial research.

Graduate students at Johns Hopkins study and work in close collaboration with a world-renowned, award-winning physics and astronomy faculty , whose research is truly global. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, and they are full participants in the vibrant intellectual life of the department. Research leading to the dissertation can be carried out not only within the Department of Physics and Astronomy, but also in collaboration with other research centers. Recent dissertation research has been conducted with members of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory , Space Telescope Science Institute , and the Goddard Space Flight Center .

Graduate students are involved in research projects beginning in their first semester at JHU. Students are free to explore different areas of research by working on short research projects with different advisers. A series of seminars, presentations and orientation events held in the fall semester help introduce students to the faculty in the department so that they can choose their first project. Such projects may last a semester or a year; they might become the prelude to their thesis work or may focus on a completely separate topic. In many cases, the projects lead to published research papers. By the end of their second year, students have typically completed their required graduate classes, have explored several different research directions and are in a good position to choose a thesis topic and a thesis advisor. Students start thesis research no later than fall of their 3rd year and graduate at the end of the 5th or 6th year.

It is departmental policy that all graduate students in good standing are supported through fellowships, research assistantships and / or teaching assistantships for up to six years.  The financial package covers the tuition and student health insurance, and provides a stipend commensurate with that of other leading research institutions. We have designed our graduate program in such a way that indeed most students earn their PhD in six years or less.

Fellowships

We strongly encourage prospective and enrolled students eligible for external fellowships to apply for them. For graduate students already enrolled, research and academic advisors provide assistance and support in applying for NSF fellowships, NASA fellowships, etc. Faculty and staff nominate graduate students for departmental and university fellowships, and applications are reviewed by the graduate program committee and / or the department chair.

The University Research Office maintains an up-to-date list of  graduate student funding opportunities . 

Teaching and research assistantships

Teaching and research assistantships are equivalent in terms of stipend and benefits. Most students are supported by teaching assistantships during their first year. In subsequent years, they may be supported by teaching assistantships or research assistantships depending on availability of external funding and research performance. Students should discuss funding options with their advisors well in advance of the semester in question. Teaching assistantships in year six and beyond should be requested by the student and the advisor by application to the graduate program committee. Continuation in the program and financial support of any kind in year seven and beyond should also be requested by the student and the advisor by application to the graduate program committee. In evaluating these requests, the graduate program committee takes into consideration whether the student is on a clear path to graduation, whether the student is making good progress and whether the extension is necessitated by the scope of the thesis.

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Statement of the rights and responsibilities of phd students at johns hopkins university.

Ph.D. education is fundamental to the University’s teaching and research mission. For an intellectual community of scholars to flourish, it is important to acknowledge the principles that underlie the compact between Ph.D. students, the faculty, and other members of the University community.

It is in this spirit that the Doctor of Philosophy Board, in collaboration with faculty and students from across the University,  has articulated a statement of rights and responsibilities for doctoral students at Johns Hopkins.  The principles described in this document are to be realized in policies established by the various Schools of the University; the Schools will also develop mechanisms to monitor and enforce such policies.

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• Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences Office of the Dean & Leadership

Graduate Board

The  Homewood Graduate Board  is a subcommittee of the Academic Council of the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering, and is responsible for the administration of policies and procedures for the award Doctor of Philosophy, PhD of the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering, and for master’s degrees in the School of Arts and Sciences.

Office of Institutional Equity – Title IX Information

Title IX  of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) prohibits discrimination with a basis on sex in any federally-funded education program or activity. Title IX affects almost every facet of JHU.

Best Universities for Theoretical Physics in the World

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in the World ranked based on their research performance in Theoretical Physics. A graph of 31M citations received by 1.19M academic papers made by 2,119 universities in the World was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Princeton University

For Theoretical Physics

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3. University of Cambridge

4. Stanford University

5. Harvard University

6. University of California - Santa Barbara

7. University of Tokyo

8. University of California - Berkeley

9. California Institute of Technology

10. Kyoto University

11. University of Oxford

12. University of Chicago

13. University of Maryland - College Park

14. Imperial College London

15. University of Texas at Austin

16. Rutgers University - New Brunswick

17. Pierre and Marie Curie University

18. Cornell University

19. Stony Brook University

20. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

21. University of Pennsylvania

22. University of British Columbia

23. Moscow State University

24. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

25. Pennsylvania State University

26. International School for Advanced Studies

27. University of Washington - Seattle

28. New York University

29. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

30. University of California - Los Angeles

31. Columbia University

32. Heidelberg University - Germany

33. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

34. Tel Aviv University

35. Yale University

36. Sapienza University of Rome

37. University of Waterloo

38. University of Toronto

39. Durham University

40. University of Vienna

41. Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

42. Queen Mary University of London

43. Paris-Sud University

44. University of California-San Diego

45. University of Geneva

46. University of Manchester

47. Technical University of Munich

48. Polytechnic School

49. Weizmann Institute of Science

50. Texas A&M University - College Station

51. University of Wisconsin - Madison

52. Ohio State University

53. University of Munich

54. Autonomous University of Madrid

55. Boston University

56. Utrecht University

57. King's College London

58. Osaka University

59. University of Hamburg

60. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

61. McGill University

62. University of Warsaw

63. Nagoya University

64. Tsinghua University

65. National Autonomous University of Mexico

66. University of Florida

67. Free University of Brussels

68. University of Amsterdam

69. University of California - Davis

70. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

71. Humboldt University of Berlin

72. University of Bonn

73. Brown University

74. University of Sao Paulo

75. Australian National University

76. Peking University

77. Providence College

78. University of Barcelona

79. University of Arizona

80. University of Colorado Boulder

81. Hebrew University of Jerusalem

82. University of Science and Technology of China

83. Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

84. University of Southern California

85. Catholic University of Leuven

86. University of Montreal

87. University of California - Irvine

88. University of Helsinki

89. University of Alberta

90. University of Pisa

91. University of Sussex

92. Johns Hopkins University

93. Syracuse University

94. University of Trieste

95. University of Valencia

96. University of Lisbon

97. Carnegie Mellon University

98. Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

99. Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main

100. University of Copenhagen

Physics subfields in the World

UMD_CMNS_Physics_S1_CMYK

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Check here for answers to frequently asked questions.

How to Apply

Applications to the Physics Graduate Program are submitted through the University of Maryland’s Graduate School.

Start by checking the Physics Admissions Requirements . When you are ready to begin the application, go to the Graduate School site to create an application account. You can save a partially completed application and return to the site later to complete and submit it. The submission deadline is December 13, 2024 .

As required by the Graduate School, all application materials are to be submitted electronically:

• Graduate application
• Transcript(s)
• TOEFL or IELTS scores (for international students only –  see detailed requirements )
• Statement of Purpose
• Letters of Recommendation (3)
• Physics Supplementary Application
• Non-refundable application fee ($75)

Completed applications are reviewed by an admissions committee composed of physics faculty members. The recommendations of the committee are submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School, who will make the final admission decision. 

The University of Maryland is dedicated to maintaining a vibrant international graduate student community. The office of International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) is a valuable resource for current and prospective international students. International applicants are encouraged to explore the services they offer and contact them with related questions.

The University of Maryland Graduate School offers admission to international students based on academic information; it is not a guarantee of attendance. Admitted international students will receive instructions about obtaining the appropriate visa to study at the University of Maryland, which will require submission of additional documents. Please see the ISSS Graduate Admissions information page for more information. 

Students offered admission will be contacted about the Open House and other visit opportunities.

For answers to more questions, view our Graduate Student FAQ . 

All application documents and credentials are subject to review.

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Physics (PhD)

Immerse yourself in world-class pure and applied research in one of the top physics departments in Canada.

Why choose this program?

Our internationally reputed department is ranked among the top physics departments in Canada in terms of research dollars per capita, with over $5M in funding annually that provides students with cutting-edge research opportunities. You’ll have access to a wide range of state-of-the-art equipment, high-power computer clusters, atmospheric observational facilities, and medical imaging facilities.  

The physics and atmospheric science department has a long tradition in both pure and applied research with close ties and cross-appointments with the Departments of Chemistry  and Oceanography  and the Faculties of Engineering  and Medicine , providing you with a collaborative and stimulating environment to conduct your research.

Our research programs cover all major areas of physics including computational, experimental and theoretical research in atmospheric physics, geophysics, quantum optics, condensed matter physics, novel Materials, applied physics, subatomic physics and astrophysics, and biophysics.

Completing this program opens doors to a number of career opportunities. Ready to explore your professional options for after graduation? We're here to help. 

Admission requirements

You'll need to meet the  Faculty of Graduate Studies minimum requirements  as well as any program-specific admissions requirements before you can apply.

Financial information

At Dalhousie, we want our students to focus on their studies, rather than worry about their personal finances. We offer competitive tuition rates and funding programs to support graduate students in almost all of our degree programs.

Program options

Thesis : Pursue independent and original research guided by a supervisor to develop and defend your thesis. 

Standard program duration:

5 years or longer

Enrolment options:

Delivery format:.

All graduate programs at Dalhousie are collaboratively delivered by a home Faculty and the  Faculty of Graduate Studies .

Contact an admissions advisor

GRADUATE COORDINATOR

Thomas Duck

Email:  [email protected]

Phone:  902-494-1456

I'm ready to apply!

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy on this page, in the event of a discrepancy,  Dalhousie's Academic Calendars  are the official reference.