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Computational physicist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a computational physicist. Computational physicists usually study physics, astronomy and astrophysics, or nuclear engineering. 58% of computational physicists hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 13 real computational physicist resumes to see exactly what computational physicist education sections show.
The most common colleges for computational physicists are the Baylor University and the Baylor University.
There are also many online computational physicist courses to help get the education required to be a computational physicist.
What education do you need to become a computational physicist?
What degree do you need to be a computational physicist?
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Doctorate, 25%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a computational physicist?
- Physics, 50%
- Nuclear Engineering, 10%
- Other Majors, 20%
Most common colleges for computational physicists
| Computational physicist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Baylor University | 16.67% |
| University of Vermont | 16.67% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 16.67% |
| Towson University | 16.67% |
| The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler | 16.67% |
Best majors for computational physicists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physics | 50.0% |
| 2 | Astronomy And Astrophysics | 10.0% |
| 3 | Nuclear Engineering | 10.0% |
| 4 | Materials Science And Engineering | 10.0% |
| 5 | Engineering Mechanics | 10.0% |
Best colleges for computational physicists
The best colleges for computational physicists are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and California Institute of Technology.
A computational physicist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for computational physicists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become computational physicists.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
20 best online courses for computational physicists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for computational physicists
The most affordable schools for computational physicists are University of Florida, brigham young university, and florida international university.
If the best universities for computational physicists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for computational physicists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for computational physicists
The hardest universities for computational physicists to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and California Institute of Technology.
Some great schools for computational physicists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for computational physicists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for computational physicists
The easiest schools for computational physicists to get into are Linfield College, san francisco state university, and oregon institute of technology.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a computational physicist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for computational physicists.
1. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
2. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
3. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
4. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
7. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
8. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
9. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
10. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
Average computational physicist salary by education level
| Computational physicist education level | Computational physicist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $62,765 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,441 |
| Doctorate Degree | $78,850 |
Computational physicist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025