<p>I'm in high school and starting to look at colleges. Right now I am interested in majoring in physics but I don't want a technical school in case something crazy happens and I decide I'd rather major in... philosophy or something. I'm having trouble researching physics departments specifically. I have 2370 SATs and an 800 SAT II in math II, physics, and chem. What schools can I look at that are known for having the best physics departments?</p>
<p>Rugg's guide is a good resource. Among his recommendations for physics programs are Amherst, Carleton, UChicago, Cornell, Georgetown, Harvard, Harvey Mudd, Haverford, Pomona, Princeton, Reed, Rice, Stanford, Swarthmore, Wash U (St. Louis).</p>
<p>The top ten undergrad future physics PhD preparers (by percentage) are similar to Rugg's:</p>
<p>CalTech, Harvey Mudd, MIT, NM Inst Mining, Reed, U Chicago, Princeton, Carleton, Marlboro, Rice.</p>
<p>Source: Weighted Baccalaureate Origins Study, Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium, for PhDs granted from 1992 to 2001 (so a bit dated).</p>
<p>Does the University of Houston have a good Physics program?</p>
<p>LACs (Espcially Harvey Mudd, Reed, Pomona, Carleton, Amherst and Swarthmore) will give you a more hands-on and intimate education in physics, as you will get more chances to work closely with professors.</p>
<p>Amherst, Swarthmore and Williams have the strongest physics departments. But Williams is ugly and Swarthmore will spend all of your money on their gardens. Did I say I go to Amherst?</p>
<p>That wasn't very helpful of me. Swarthmore actually has an honors system that I think puts a lot of unnecessary stress on students and all of their upper level physics courses are seminars (they're taught mostly by the students themselves). Williams, sigh, I guess it really did come down to the campus.</p>
<p>MIT and Harvard are great too, but you won't have as much interaction with your professors and will probably only get menial assignments in research. Caltech and MIT fall into another category of putting so much focus on math and science that their grads are turn out very one dimensional.</p>
<p>My friends who are physics majors adore the program... for them, the school offers a good combination between research opportunities and familiarity with professors.</p>
<p>The school has an extensive Core Curriculum, which covers humanities, social sciences, etc. and is very reading/writing heavy. Considering that you have other academic interests, you might really like having a Core.</p>
<p>Sorry, unalove, the program... where?</p>
<p>At Chicago.</p>
<p>Princeton (10 char)</p>
<p>Top undergrad physics departments, according to Gourman:</p>
<p>Caltech
Harvard
Cornell
Princeton
MIT
UC Berkeley
Stanford
U Chicago
U Illinois UC
Columbia
Yale
Georgia Tech
UC San Diego
UCLA
U Pennsylvania
U Wisconsin Madison
U Washington
U Michigan AA
U Maryland CP
UC Santa Barbara
U Texas Austin
Carnegie Mellon
U Minnesota
RPI
Brown
JHU
Michigan St
Notre Dame
SUNY Stony Brook
Case Western
Northwestern
U Rochester
U Pittsburgh
Penn State
U Colorado Boulder</p>
<p>And here's the old NRC ranking:</p>
<p>So, no word on the University of Houston program?</p>