<p>Check out the following research universities:
Boston U.
Tulane
Carnegie Mellon
URochester
Boston College
Brandeis
Case Western</p>
<p>These meet the following criteria:
- private
- don’t rank in the USNWR top 20
- do rank in the NRC top 50 physics graduate programs (by “S-Rank High” [NRC</a> Rankings Overview: Physics - Faculty - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“NRC Rankings Overview: Physics”>NRC Rankings Overview: Physics))</p>
<p>If you’re willing to consider small liberal arts colleges, check out the following:
Harvey Mudd
Reed
Swarthmore
Carleton
Haverford
Grinnell
(these schools are among the highest in percentage of alumni who go on to earn PhDs in physical sciences; however, they are quite selective. The University of Puget Sound and Lawrence University are less selective LACs with relatively high physics PhD production.)</p>
<p>Caveat: There does not seem to be any reliable ranking of the best undergraduate physics programs. You may be better off making a list of ~20 schools that meet other criteria you value (financial aid, location, size, etc.) then investigating the physics programs at each one.</p>