Best colleges for Physical Sciences
A program that focuses on the major topics, concepts, processes, and interrelationships of physical phenomena as studied in any combination of physical science disciplines.
131 U.S. institutions graduated 2,967 Physical Sciences students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 40.0101, a specialization of Physical Sciences (CIP 40.01), and leads most directly to the Natural Sciences Managers occupation (BLS SOC 11-9121).
About Physical Sciences programs
A program that focuses on the major topics, concepts, processes, and interrelationships of physical phenomena as studied in any combination of physical science disciplines.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Physical Sciences program, also known as Physical Sciences, General, focuses on the major topics, concepts, processes, and interrelationships of physical phenomena across various physical science disciplines. This program is designed for students interested in understanding the fundamental principles that govern the natural world, making it suitable for those who are curious about science and its applications.
Students in the Physical Sciences program will develop essential skills such as critical thinking, active listening, and effective communication. Coursework typically includes subjects like biology, chemistry, and physics, providing a solid foundation in scientific principles and methodologies.
Credentials awarded
What Physical Sciences graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Associate's degree2,535 graduates / yr · 91 institutions85%
- Bachelor's degree351 graduates / yr · 33 institutions12%
- Master's degree51 graduates / yr · 9 institutions1.7%
- Award of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year18 graduates / yr · 1 institution0.6%
- Doctor's degree - research/scholarship11 graduates / yr · 1 institution0.4%
- Postbaccalaureate certificate1 graduates / yr · 1 institution0.0%
Graduates over time
Physical Sciences completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 3,104 |
| 2013 | 3,347 |
| 2014 | 3,569 |
| 2015 | 3,670 |
| 2016 | 3,954 |
| 2017 | 4,112 |
| 2018 | 4,375 |
| 2019 | 4,519 |
| 2020 | 4,147 |
| 2021 | 3,805 |
| 2022 | 3,133 |
| 2023 | 2,738 |
| 2024 | 2,645 |
| 2025 | 2,967 |
Top 50 institutions for Physical Sciences, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Field starting salary* (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas, NVPublicAssociate's | 371 | 19% | — | — |
| 2 | Middlesex College Edison, NJPublicAssociate's | 202 | 33% | — | $27,136 |
| 3 | Richard Bland College South Prince George, VAPublicAssociate's | 187 | 9% | — | $20,219 |
| 4 | Western Nevada College Carson City, NVPublicAssociate's | 130 | 41% | — | $27,007 |
| 5 | American River College Sacramento, CAPublicAssociate's | 105 | 37% | — | — |
| 6 | El Camino Community College District Torrance, CAPublicAssociate's | 92 | 42% | — | — |
| 7 | CUNY Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NYPublicAssociate's | 88 | 20% | — | $27,203 |
| 8 | Seattle Central College Seattle, WAPublicAssociate's | 64 | 32% | — | — |
| 9 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZPublicBachelor's | 55 | 68% | — | $41,421 |
| 10 | Villanova University Villanova, PAPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 55 | 92% | $33,774 | — |
| 11 | Long Beach City College Long Beach, CAPublicAssociate's | 54 | 30% | — | — |
| 12 | Mesa Community College Mesa, AZPublicAssociate's | 52 | 16% | — | — |
| 13 | University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CAPublicBachelor's | 51 | 75% | — | — |
| 14 | College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NYPublicAssociate's | 51 | 34% | — | — |
| 15 | CUNY LaGuardia Community College Long Island City, NYPublicAssociate's | 48 | 24% | — | $19,815 |
| 16 | Pierce College District Lakewood, WAPublicAssociate's | 47 | 31% | — | — |
| 17 | Jackson College Jackson, MIPublicAssociate'sAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 46 | 16% | — | — |
| 18 | Chandler-Gilbert Community College Chandler, AZPublicAssociate's | 46 | 30% | — | — |
| 19 | Bellevue College Bellevue, WAPublicAssociate's | 44 | 36% | — | — |
| 20 | Green River College Auburn, WAPublicAssociate's | 42 | 39% | — | — |
| 21 | University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus Gallup, NMPublicAssociate's | 41 | 20% | — | — |
| 22 | CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NYPublicAssociate's | 41 | 25% | — | $26,948 |
| 23 | Glendale Community College Glendale, AZPublicAssociate's | 40 | 16% | — | — |
| 24 | Utah Valley University Orem, UTPublicAssociate's | 36 | 45% | — | — |
| 25 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center New York, NYPublicBachelor's | 34 | — | — | — |
| 26 | United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MDPublicBachelor's | 33 | 93% | — | — |
| 27 | South Puget Sound Community College Olympia, WAPublicAssociate's | 33 | 44% | — | — |
| 28 | Estrella Mountain Community College Avondale, AZPublicAssociate's | 33 | 32% | — | — |
| 29 | Cascadia College Bothell, WAPublicAssociate's | 33 | 32% | — | — |
| 30 | Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga, CAPublicAssociate's | 32 | 36% | — | — |
| 31 | University of New Mexico-Taos Campus Ranchos de Taos, NMPublicAssociate's | 31 | 30% | — | — |
| 32 | Edmonds College Lynnwood, WAPublicAssociate's | 29 | 29% | — | — |
| 33 | North Seattle College Seattle, WAPublicAssociate's | 27 | 33% | — | — |
| 34 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Perkinston, MSPublicAssociate's | 26 | 48% | — | — |
| 35 | Northern Oklahoma College Tonkawa, OKPublicAssociate's | 24 | 48% | — | — |
| 36 | Wenatchee Valley College Wenatchee, WAPublicAssociate's | 24 | 43% | — | — |
| 37 | North Central Michigan College Petoskey, MIPublicAssociate's | 23 | 29% | — | — |
| 38 | Clark College Vancouver, WAPublicAssociate's | 23 | 39% | — | — |
| 39 | Phoenix College Phoenix, AZPublicAssociate's | 21 | 14% | — | — |
| 40 | Shoreline College Shoreline, WAPublicAssociate's | 20 | 29% | — | — |
| 41 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, ARPublicDoctoralMaster's | 19 | 42% | — | — |
| 42 | Columbia Basin College Pasco, WAPublicAssociate's | 19 | 33% | — | — |
| 43 | Chadron State College Chadron, NEPublicBachelor's | 18 | 50% | — | — |
| 44 | CUNY Bronx Community College Bronx, NYPublicAssociate's | 17 | 16% | — | — |
| 45 | Paradise Valley Community College Phoenix, AZPublicAssociate's | 17 | 19% | — | — |
| 46 | Wesleyan University Middletown, CTPrivate not-for-profitBachelor'sMaster's | 16 | 93% | $16,467 | — |
| 47 | South Seattle College Seattle, WAPublicAssociate's | 16 | 31% | — | — |
| 48 | Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GAPublicMaster's | 15 | 55% | — | — |
| 49 | Reading Area Community College Reading, PAPublicAssociate's | 15 | 34% | — | — |
| 50 | Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon, WAPublicAssociate's | 15 | 36% | — | — |
* Field starting salary (1 yr): median earnings 1 year after graduation for the broader Physical Sciences field (CIP 40.01) at these institutions; College Scorecard does not publish earnings at the 6-digit level.
Offered in 32 states & territories
Where Physical Sciences graduates come from. Each state links to all Physical Sciences programs offered there.
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 11-9121, Natural Sciences Managers, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Physical Sciences program can pursue careers as Natural Sciences Managers or Secondary School Teachers, among other roles. The job outlook for related occupations is about as fast as average, with an annual growth rate of 3.7% and approximately 8,500 annual openings. The median wage for these positions is $161,180, typically requiring at least a Bachelor's degree.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 40.0101
The occupations the NCES crosswalk maps this 6-digit code to, with BLS pay and 10-year outlook.
| Occupation | US median pay | Growth | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Natural Sciences Managersprimary SOC 11-9121 | $167,220 | +3.7% About as fast as average | ~8,500 | Bachelor's degree |
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education SOC 25-2031 | $72,040 | -1.6% Decline | ~66,200 | Bachelor's degree |
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Related careers
Skills & knowledge in Physical Sciences programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this specialization most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
Abilities that matter most
Day-to-day work activities
What graduates do on the job
- Hire, supervise, or evaluate engineers, technicians, researchers, or other staff.
- Design or coordinate successive phases of problem analysis, solution proposals, or testing.
- Plan or direct research, development, or production activities.
- Review project activities and prepare and review research, testing, or operational reports.
- Confer with scientists, engineers, regulators, or others to plan or review projects or to provide technical assistance.
- Develop client relationships and communicate with clients to explain proposals, present research findings, establish specifications, or discuss project status.
Tools and technology used
Common questions
What degrees can I earn in this program?+
You can earn an Associate's degree, Bachelor's degree, or Master's degree in Physical Sciences.
How many colleges offer this program in the U.S.?+
There are 131 colleges offering the Physical Sciences program across the United States.
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop skills in science, critical thinking, monitoring, and effective communication.
What is the job outlook for careers in Physical Sciences?+
The job outlook is about as fast as average, with a growth rate of 3.7% and approximately 8,500 annual openings.
What is the CIP code for Physical Sciences?+
Physical Sciences is CIP 40.0101 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within Physical Sciences (CIP 40.01). NCES defines it as: A program that focuses on the major topics, concepts, processes, and interrelationships of physical phenomena as studied in any combination of physical science disciplines.
How many institutions offer Physical Sciences programs?+
131 U.S. institutions reported Physical Sciences graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 32 states & territories, awarding 2,967 credentials in the year. That is 100.0% of all Physical Sciences graduates.
How much do Physical Sciences graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The Natural Sciences Managers occupation, which Physical Sciences most directly leads to, pays a median of $167,220 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025), and graduates of the broader Physical Sciences field report median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $27,007, College Scorecard.
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license. This specialization accounts for nearly all Physical Sciences graduates, so its figures match the Physical Sciences program page.
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