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Research physicist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a research physicist. Research physicists usually study physics, electrical engineering, or mathematics. 52% of research physicists hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 172 real research physicist resumes to see exactly what research physicist education sections show.
The most common colleges for research physicists are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online research physicist courses to help get the education required to be a research physicist.
What education do you need to become a research physicist?
What degree do you need to be a research physicist?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Doctorate, 30%
- Master's, 17%
- License, 1%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become a research physicist?
- Physics, 73%
- Mathematics, 3%
- Other Majors, 17%
Most common colleges for research physicists
| Research physicist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 8.89% |
| Johns Hopkins University | 6.67% |
| Towson University | 6.67% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 6.67% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 6.67% |
Best majors for research physicists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physics | 73.0% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 4.6% |
| 3 | Mathematics | 3.3% |
| 4 | Nuclear Engineering | 2.0% |
| 5 | Chemistry | 2.0% |
Best colleges for research physicists
The best colleges for research physicists are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A research 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 research 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 research 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 research physicists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for research physicists
The most affordable schools for research physicists are University of Florida, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for research 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 research 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 research physicists
The hardest universities for research physicists to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for research 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 research 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 research physicists
The easiest schools for research 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 research 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 research 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 research physicist salary by education level
| Research physicist education level | Research physicist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $75,377 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $67,302 |
| Doctorate Degree | $84,003 |
Research physicist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025