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Physicist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a physicist. Physicists usually study physics, public health, or electrical engineering. 53% of physicists hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 890 real physicist resumes to see exactly what physicist education sections show.
The most common colleges for physicists are the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
There are also many online physicist courses to help get the education required to be a physicist.
There are certain physicist certifications that you should consider. These physicist certifications include Medical Physics and Certification in Radiologic Physics: Therapeutic Radiologic Physics.
What education do you need to become a physicist?
What degree do you need to be a physicist?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Master's, 25%
- Doctorate, 18%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a physicist?
- Physics, 67%
- Public Health, 6%
- Chemistry, 3%
- Other Majors, 20%
Most common colleges for physicists
| Physicist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 9.68% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.26% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 6.45% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 6.45% |
| University of Washington | 6.45% |
Best majors for physicists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physics | 66.6% |
| 2 | Public Health | 5.8% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 4.5% |
| 4 | Chemistry | 2.8% |
| 5 | Nuclear Engineering | 2.2% |
Best colleges for physicists
The best colleges for physicists are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A 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 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 physicists.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
4. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
5. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
6. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
10. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,382
Enrollment
5,597
20 best online courses for physicists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for physicists
The most affordable schools for physicists are University of Florida, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for 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 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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for physicists
The hardest universities for physicists to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for 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 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
5. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,488
6. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
10. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for physicists
The easiest schools for physicists to get into are Linfield College, san francisco state university, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a 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 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. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
5. Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,062
6. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,148
7. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
8. Augusta University
Augusta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,172
9. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average physicist salary by education level
| Physicist education level | Physicist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $112,279 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $96,597 |
| Doctorate Degree | $129,651 |
Physicist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025