national universities - proportion of physics graduates

College Search & Selection
1

<p>university, SAT 75th percentile, total bachelors graduates, number of physics graduates, proportion of physics graduates</p>

<p>sorted by the proportion of physics graduates</p>

<p>IPEDS</p>

<p>California Institute of Technology 1570 217 43 0.1982
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1560 1220 78 0.0639
University of Rochester 1410 1134 41 0.0362
Harvard University 1580 1807 51 0.0282
University of Chicago 1280 1072 24 0.0224
Carnegie Mellon University 1480 1278 28 0.0219
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 1420 1173 24 0.0205
Brandeis University 1440 722 13 0.0180
Princeton University 1560 1145 20 0.0175
Rice University 1540 748 12 0.0160
Case Western Reserve University 1420 705 10 0.0142
College of William and Mary 1440 1472 19 0.0129
American University 1350 1419 18 0.0127
Georgetown University 1470 1679 20 0.0119
Worcester Polytechnic Institute 1390 615 7 0.0114
Dartmouth College 1550 1109 12 0.0108
Stanford University 1550 1790 18 0.0101
University of Washington-Seattle Campus 1310 7287 73 0.0100
Brown University 1520 1499 15 0.0100
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus 1430 2512 23 0.0092
Wake Forest University 1410 953 8 0.0084
Columbia University in the City of New York 1560 1705 14 0.0082
University of California-San Diego 1200 5042 38 0.0075
University of California-Los Angeles 1310 7336 53 0.0072
Yale University 1560 1291 9 0.0070
University of California-Berkeley 1435 6767 47 0.0069
University of California-Santa Cruz 1300 2991 20 0.0067
University of Virginia-Main Campus 1430 3353 22 0.0066
University of Colorado at Boulder 1530 5525 33 0.0060
Duke University 1530 1448 8 0.0055
University of California-Riverside 1410 3080 17 0.0055
Cornell University 1490 3474 19 0.0055
University of Maryland-College Park 1240 6263 33 0.0053
Vanderbilt University 1440 1519 8 0.0053
Brigham Young University 1320 6951 36 0.0052
University of Notre Dame 1470 2167 11 0.0051
University of California-Davis 1450 5735 29 0.0051
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1320 6752 32 0.0047
Clemson University 1300 3005 14 0.0047
Purdue University-Main Campus 1260 6270 29 0.0046
Tulane University of Louisiana 1470 1533 7 0.0046
SUNY at Binghamton 1340 2702 12 0.0044
The University of Texas at Austin 1240 8836 39 0.0044
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill 1390 3888 17 0.0044
Clark University 1305 472 2 0.0042
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities 1390 6088 25 0.0041
Washington University in St Louis 1520 1529 6 0.0039
Rutgers University-New Brunswick/Piscataway 1310 5948 23 0.0039
Fordham University 1290 1688 6 0.0036
Emory University 1460 1476 5 0.0034
Boston University 1390 3551 12 0.0034
Northwestern University 1500 2083 7 0.0034
Saint Louis University-Main Campus 1320 1512 5 0.0033
University of Denver 1280 909 3 0.0033
Michigan State University 1240 7733 25 0.0032
Iowa State University 1230 4679 15 0.0032
Yeshiva University 1350 647 2 0.0031
University of California-Irvine 1280 5242 15 0.0029
Ohio State University-Main Campus 1280 8124 23 0.0028
University of Pennsylvania 1510 2854 8 0.0028
University of California-Santa Barbara 1360 4658 13 0.0028
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 1350 5880 16 0.0027
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 1290 4835 13 0.0027
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus 1290 9840 26 0.0026
Boston College 1410 2341 6 0.0026
New York University 1410 4696 12 0.0026
Syracuse University 1320 2403 6 0.0025
University of Iowa 1410 4041 10 0.0025
Miami University-Oxford 1320 3759 9 0.0024
University of Wisconsin-Madison 1390 6316 15 0.0024
University of Connecticut 1280 3816 9 0.0024
University of Florida 1230 8417 18 0.0021
University of Missouri-Columbia 1280 4259 9 0.0021
Auburn University Main Campus 1210 3917 8 0.0020
Southern Methodist University 1300 1491 3 0.0020
Lehigh University 1380 1041 2 0.0019
The University of Tennessee 1390 3844 7 0.0018
Texas A & M University 1300 7711 14 0.0018
Indiana University-Bloomington 1220 6069 11 0.0018
George Washington University 1370 2421 4 0.0017
Tufts University 1340 1240 2 0.0016
University of Southern California 1440 4139 6 0.0014
University of Delaware 1270 3602 5 0.0014
University of Georgia 1360 6160 8 0.0013
University of Miami 1370 2392 3 0.0013
University of Pittsburgh-Main Campus 1330 3989 4 0.0010
Baylor University 1290 2218 1 0.0005
Johns Hopkins University 1490 1412 0 0.0000
Marquette University 1280 1562 0 0.0000
Pepperdine University 1310 887 0 0.0000</p>

2

<p>sorted by the NUMBER of physics graduates</p>

<p>Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1560 1220 78 0.0639
University of Washington-Seattle Campus 1310 7287 73 0.0100
University of California-Los Angeles 1310 7336 53 0.0072
Harvard University 1580 1807 51 0.0282
University of California-Berkeley 1435 6767 47 0.0069
California Institute of Technology 1570 217 43 0.1982
University of Rochester 1410 1134 41 0.0362
The University of Texas at Austin 1240 8836 39 0.0044
University of California-San Diego 1200 5042 38 0.0075
Brigham Young University 1320 6951 36 0.0052
University of Colorado at Boulder 1530 5525 33 0.0060
University of Maryland-College Park 1240 6263 33 0.0053
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1320 6752 32 0.0047
University of California-Davis 1450 5735 29 0.0051
Purdue University-Main Campus 1260 6270 29 0.0046
Carnegie Mellon University 1480 1278 28 0.0219
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus 1290 9840 26 0.0026
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities 1390 6088 25 0.0041
Michigan State University 1240 7733 25 0.0032
University of Chicago 1280 1072 24 0.0224
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 1420 1173 24 0.0205
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus 1430 2512 23 0.0092
Rutgers University-New Brunswick/Piscataway 1310 5948 23 0.0039
Ohio State University-Main Campus 1280 8124 23 0.0028
University of Virginia-Main Campus 1430 3353 22 0.0066
Princeton University 1560 1145 20 0.0175
Georgetown University 1470 1679 20 0.0119
University of California-Santa Cruz 1300 2991 20 0.0067
College of William and Mary 1440 1472 19 0.0129
Cornell University 1490 3474 19 0.0055
American University 1350 1419 18 0.0127
Stanford University 1550 1790 18 0.0101
University of Florida 1230 8417 18 0.0021
University of California-Riverside 1410 3080 17 0.0055
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill 1390 3888 17 0.0044
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 1350 5880 16 0.0027
Brown University 1520 1499 15 0.0100
Iowa State University 1230 4679 15 0.0032
University of California-Irvine 1280 5242 15 0.0029
University of Wisconsin-Madison 1390 6316 15 0.0024
Columbia University in the City of New York 1560 1705 14 0.0082
Clemson University 1300 3005 14 0.0047
Texas A & M University 1300 7711 14 0.0018
Brandeis University 1440 722 13 0.0180
University of California-Santa Barbara 1360 4658 13 0.0028
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 1290 4835 13 0.0027
Rice University 1540 748 12 0.0160
Dartmouth College 1550 1109 12 0.0108
SUNY at Binghamton 1340 2702 12 0.0044
Boston University 1390 3551 12 0.0034
New York University 1410 4696 12 0.0026
University of Notre Dame 1470 2167 11 0.0051
Indiana University-Bloomington 1220 6069 11 0.0018
Case Western Reserve University 1420 705 10 0.0142
University of Iowa 1410 4041 10 0.0025
Yale University 1560 1291 9 0.0070
Miami University-Oxford 1320 3759 9 0.0024
University of Connecticut 1280 3816 9 0.0024
University of Missouri-Columbia 1280 4259 9 0.0021
Wake Forest University 1410 953 8 0.0084
Duke University 1530 1448 8 0.0055
Vanderbilt University 1440 1519 8 0.0053
University of Pennsylvania 1510 2854 8 0.0028
Auburn University Main Campus 1210 3917 8 0.0020
University of Georgia 1360 6160 8 0.0013
Worcester Polytechnic Institute 1390 615 7 0.0114
Tulane University of Louisiana 1470 1533 7 0.0046
Northwestern University 1500 2083 7 0.0034
The University of Tennessee 1390 3844 7 0.0018
Washington University in St Louis 1520 1529 6 0.0039
Fordham University 1290 1688 6 0.0036
Boston College 1410 2341 6 0.0026
Syracuse University 1320 2403 6 0.0025
University of Southern California 1440 4139 6 0.0014
Emory University 1460 1476 5 0.0034
Saint Louis University-Main Campus 1320 1512 5 0.0033
University of Delaware 1270 3602 5 0.0014
George Washington University 1370 2421 4 0.0017
University of Pittsburgh-Main Campus 1330 3989 4 0.0010
University of Denver 1280 909 3 0.0033
Southern Methodist University 1300 1491 3 0.0020
University of Miami 1370 2392 3 0.0013
Clark University 1305 472 2 0.0042
Yeshiva University 1350 647 2 0.0031
Lehigh University 1380 1041 2 0.0019
Tufts University 1340 1240 2 0.0016
Baylor University 1290 2218 1 0.0005
Johns Hopkins University 1490 1412 0 0.0000
Marquette University 1280 1562 0 0.0000
Pepperdine University 1310 887 0 0.0000</p>

3

<p>Physics seems to be a dying major. Tufts had 2 and JHU had none in whatever year these numbers are for.</p>

4

<p>btw, what data are you using for SAT scores? its off for many schools based on scores reported by collegeboard US News and the schools themselves for the 75%</p>

<p>and yeah I agree, I think most physics would-be's are pursuing engineering instead</p>

5

<p>I believe the SATs 75th percentile came from the 2006 US News Best Colleges.</p>

<p>I agree that many students who like physics are lured into engineering. I also think physics is a very difficult major and only the very brightest can be successful at it. Why don't more students major in physics? I don't think the lure of engineering can completely explain it.</p>

6

<p>collegehelp, what degrees did you take into account when you compiled this? Because there are always a lot of applied/engineering/bio/astro/whatever physics degrees that are awarded at a lot of schools in addition, so the numbers are actually higher.</p>

<p>And for the record, I don't think it's physics is a dying major as much as it was never all that popular to begin with, especially when compared to engineering.</p>

7

<p>stargirl-
This list only includes majors called "physics"...bachelors degrees.</p>

<p>In IPEDS, I think applied physics is a subcategory of engineering, biophysics is a subcategory under biological sciences, and astrophysics is combined with astronomy.</p>

8

<p>No, physics is not a dying major; rather it’s a difficult hardcore major. I’ve seen some really scary smart people who got PhD’s in physics. Having said that, you can find really smart genius type physics majors in great universities like Harvard, Berkeley, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Caltech, and UChicago. Outside these handful of the great hardcore physic schools, students who major in physics are not that too impressive, probably same or lower level than engineering majors. Let’s be realistic- who needs a super-string theory in real life, unless you’re a dedicated researcher trying to break the boundary? at least, engineers bring those hot-sizzling bacons to the table :)</p>

9

<p>
[quote]
Let’s be realistic- who needs a super-string theory in real life, unless you’re a dedicated researcher trying to break the boundary?[

[/quote]

Not to be petty, but researchers don't work on string theory. Theorists work on string theory. I really think you're undervaluing physics research in general, since someone needs to make a discovery before the engineers can do anything with it.</p>

10

<p>But I doubt physics gets much research funding these days. My impression is engineering schools have a lot more lively research for applications.</p>

11

<p>I seriously doubt that JHU graduated 0 physics majors. Considering how many of them I run into on this campus. Also, the Applied Physics Laboratory @ JHU is kind of a big deal.</p>

12

<p>Well, I'm in no position to comment on the levels of funding received by physicists and engineers, I just thought I'd point out that the idea of physics having no practical applications seemed a bit off-base.</p>

13

<p>scorp-
I checked JHU. There were no general physics majors in this year but there were 21 biophysics grads.</p>

14

<p>
[quote]
Applied Physics Laboratory

[/quote]

There you go. You simply cannot secure a large federal/industrial funding just doing “pure” physics- that’s why physicists are window-dressing it – “applied” physics- well basically it’s applied “engineering”.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I just thought I'd point out that the idea of physics having no practical applications

[/quote]

No, physics is not a dying major, but it’s not a “practical” major – engineers can kick physicist’s @ss anytime when it comes to </p>

<p>1) getting a real “well-paying” job (o yea)
2) doing “practical” work : designing an airplane, helicopters, submarines, automobiles, building infrastructures /machineries, processing chemicals, laying ground works on C4 systems…. So and so forth
3) getting many dates from opposite sexes (engineers are more humorous than physicists, Duh!!!)
4) bringing the bacons to the table (tied to engineer’s earning power)
5) preventing an early hair loss (put its this way, physicist’s wife are lonely and tend to be unloved and b-tch a lot))
6) maintaining a libido till wee years(engineers can enjoy life and tend to more outdoorish)
7) other good stuffs……</p>

15

<p>
[quote]
3) getting many dates from opposite sexes

[/quote]

Have you ever been around actual engineers? They're nerds!</p>

<p>But seriously, I've known numerous physicists and engineers in my life through family and friends, and the engineers seem to be the ones whose jobs suddenly disappear, leaving them in quite a tough predicament.</p>

<p>The most important thing, however, is the simple fact that engineering is boring. Come on.</p>

16

<p>1) getting a real “well-paying” job (o yea)</p>

<p>Lots of physics majors end up going into industry and the like where they get the same starting salaries as engineers. It's just a lot more physicists go off to graduate school in physics and onto academia later on that mainly contributes to the lower average pay rate.</p>

<p>2) doing “practical” work : designing an airplane, helicopters, submarines, automobiles, building infrastructures /machineries, processing chemicals, laying ground works on C4 systems…. So and so forth</p>

<p>I work in a physics lab where we're designing a communications system for a project in Argentina the size of Rhode Island. Quite practical.
And anyway, good luck building any of that stuff without understanding the physics behind it, and good luck using things like nuclear power or NMR facilities if you think physicists never research anything practical.</p>

<p>3) getting many dates from opposite sexes (engineers are more humorous than physicists, Duh!!!)</p>

<p>Ummm, no. That and I'm a girl anyway, so I'm definetely getting enough dates from physics guys, with whom one can actually have an intelligent conversation.</p>

<p>4) bringing the bacons to the table (tied to engineer’s earning power)</p>

<p>See #1.</p>

<p>5) preventing an early hair loss (put its this way, physicist’s wife are lonely and tend to be unloved and b-tch a lot))</p>

<p>Do you know any physicists or are you just making that one up? Because if I compare the physicists I know and compare them to the engineers, I'd argue that the physicists are much happier because they love what they're doing. If they didn't, they'd go become engineers.</p>

<p>6) maintaining a libido till wee years(engineers can enjoy life and tend to more outdoorish)</p>

<p>See above.</p>

<p>7) other good stuffs……</p>

<p>Yep, as physicists can merely examine things like quantum computing, cutting-edge laser technology, black holes, liquid crystals, time travel, supersymmetry, Bose-Einstein condensate, NMR/MRI, plasma physics, and the origins and fate of the universe. Nothing good or cool about that, and it's all incredibly boring don't you agree?</p>

<p>Don't forget, if physics were any easier they'd call it engineering!</p>

17

<p>Why on earth is WashU ranked above Iowa State University on this list? Clearly, this system of ranking the physics departments is an inaccurate reflection of the academic levels of the school. Just ask any CCer; we all agree that WashU is completely evil!</p>