Best Universities for Physics in North America
Updated:
Below is a list of best universities in North America ranked based on their research performance in Physics. A graph of 351M citations received by 10.5M academic papers made by 1,569 universities in North America was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.
We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Acceptance Rate
- 4%
- Average SAT
- 1555
- Average ACT
- 36
- Net Price
- $20,232
2. University of California - Berkeley
- Acceptance Rate
- 11%
- Receiving Aid
- 60%
- Average Aid
- $21,669
- Enrollment
- 45,307
3. Stanford University
- Acceptance Rate
- 4%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $18,279
4. Harvard University
- Acceptance Rate
- 3%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $19,491
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
- Acceptance Rate
- 18%
- Average SAT
- 1440
- Average ACT
- 33
- Receiving Aid
- 74%
6. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign
- Acceptance Rate
- 45%
- Average SAT
- 1415
- Average ACT
- 32
- Receiving Aid
- 64%
7. University of California - Los Angeles
- Acceptance Rate
- 9%
- Receiving Aid
- 57%
- Average Aid
- $21,766
- Enrollment
- 46,430
8. Cornell University
- Acceptance Rate
- 7%
- Average SAT
- 1520
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $26,060
9. Princeton University
- Acceptance Rate
- 6%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $18,698
10. University of Washington - Seattle
- Acceptance Rate
- 48%
- Receiving Aid
- 58%
- Average Aid
- $14,731
- Enrollment
- 52,319
12. California Institute of Technology
- Acceptance Rate
- 3%
- Net Price
- $20,755
- Receiving Aid
- 71%
- Average Aid
- $59,192
13. Pennsylvania State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 55%
- Average SAT
- 1300
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 68%
14. University of Texas at Austin
- Acceptance Rate
- 31%
- Average SAT
- 1365
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 89%
15. University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Acceptance Rate
- 49%
- Average SAT
- 1425
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 58%
16. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Acceptance Rate
- 75%
- Average SAT
- 1395
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 82%
17. University of California-San Diego
- Acceptance Rate
- 24%
- Receiving Aid
- 61%
- Average Aid
- $20,782
- Enrollment
- 42,006
18. Georgia Institute of Technology
- Acceptance Rate
- 17%
- Average SAT
- 1460
- Average ACT
- 33
- Receiving Aid
- 73%
19. University of Maryland - College Park
- Acceptance Rate
- 45%
- Average SAT
- 1440
- Average ACT
- 32
- Receiving Aid
- 63%
20. University of California - Santa Barbara
- Acceptance Rate
- 26%
- Receiving Aid
- 59%
- Average Aid
- $20,389
- Enrollment
- 26,420
21. Columbia University
- Acceptance Rate
- 4%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $22,058
22. University of Pennsylvania
- Acceptance Rate
- 7%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $26,123
23. Johns Hopkins University
- Acceptance Rate
- 7%
- Average SAT
- 1545
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $24,034
24. Ohio State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 53%
- Average SAT
- 1395
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 83%
25. Northwestern University
- Acceptance Rate
- 7%
- Average SAT
- 1530
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $22,095
26. Yale University
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $18,647
27. Texas A&M University - College Station
- Acceptance Rate
- 63%
- Average SAT
- 1270
- Average ACT
- 28
- Receiving Aid
- 74%
28. Purdue University
- Acceptance Rate
- 53%
- Average SAT
- 1335
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 60%
29. University of Chicago
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $36,991
30. University of Florida
- Acceptance Rate
- 23%
- Average SAT
- 1395
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 94%
32. University of Arizona
- Acceptance Rate
- 87%
- Average SAT
- 1255
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 98%
33. University of California - Davis
- Acceptance Rate
- 37%
- Receiving Aid
- 63%
- Average Aid
- $20,548
- Enrollment
- 39,679
34. University of Southern California
- Acceptance Rate
- 12%
- Average SAT
- 1500
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $36,808
35. Rutgers University - New Brunswick
- Acceptance Rate
- 66%
- Average SAT
- 1375
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 70%
36. Carnegie Mellon University
- Acceptance Rate
- 11%
- Average SAT
- 1530
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $33,499
37. University of Colorado Boulder
- Acceptance Rate
- 81%
- Average SAT
- 1275
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 68%
39. Iowa State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 90%
- Average SAT
- 1220
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 89%
41. Michigan State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 88%
- Average SAT
- 1260
- Average ACT
- 28
- Receiving Aid
- 94%
42. Arizona State University - Tempe
- Acceptance Rate
- 90%
- Receiving Aid
- 93%
- Average Aid
- $12,381
- Enrollment
- 80,065
44. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Acceptance Rate
- 17%
- Average SAT
- 1440
- Average ACT
- 32
- Receiving Aid
- 59%
45. New York University
- Acceptance Rate
- 12%
- Average SAT
- 1520
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $29,499
46. North Carolina State University at Raleigh
- Acceptance Rate
- 47%
- Average SAT
- 1370
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 80%
47. University of Utah
- Acceptance Rate
- 89%
- Average SAT
- 1290
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 99%
48. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 57%
- Average SAT
- 1335
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 71%
49. Duke University
- Acceptance Rate
- 6%
- Average SAT
- 1530
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $23,694
50. University of Pittsburgh
- Acceptance Rate
- 49%
- Average SAT
- 1375
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 87%
51. University of California - Irvine
- Acceptance Rate
- 21%
- Receiving Aid
- 80%
- Average Aid
- $17,411
- Enrollment
- 35,937
52. Boston University
- Acceptance Rate
- 14%
- Average SAT
- 1425
- Average ACT
- 33
- Net Price
- $27,829
53. University of Virginia
- Acceptance Rate
- 19%
- Average SAT
- 1470
- Average ACT
- 33
- Receiving Aid
- 54%
54. University of Rochester
- Acceptance Rate
- 39%
- Average SAT
- 1465
- Average ACT
- 33
- Net Price
- $39,775
55. Stony Brook University
- Acceptance Rate
- 49%
- Average SAT
- 1410
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 88%
56. University of California - San Francisco
- Acceptance Rate
- 13%
- Enrollment
- 3,140
- Male:Female
- 35:65
- Founded
- 1864
57. Washington University in St Louis
- Acceptance Rate
- 12%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $23,432
58. Rice University
- Acceptance Rate
- 9%
- Average SAT
- 1530
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $19,902
59. Case Western Reserve University
- Acceptance Rate
- 27%
- Average SAT
- 1475
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $38,279
61. University of Massachusetts - Amherst
- Acceptance Rate
- 64%
- Average SAT
- 1370
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 91%
62. University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- Acceptance Rate
- 68%
- Average SAT
- 1250
- Average ACT
- 28
- Receiving Aid
- 91%
65. University of Delaware
- Acceptance Rate
- 74%
- Average SAT
- 1275
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 93%
66. Brown University
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $26,723
67. University of Iowa
- Acceptance Rate
- 86%
- Average SAT
- 1235
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 91%
69. Providence College
- Acceptance Rate
- 53%
- Average SAT
- 1340
- Average ACT
- 30
- Net Price
- $43,970
70. University of Illinois at Chicago
- Acceptance Rate
- 79%
- Average SAT
- 1225
- Average ACT
- 27
- Receiving Aid
- 81%
71. University of Notre Dame
- Acceptance Rate
- 13%
- Average SAT
- 1500
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $28,474
72. University at Buffalo
- Acceptance Rate
- 68%
- Average SAT
- 1285
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 86%
73. Vanderbilt University
- Acceptance Rate
- 7%
- Average SAT
- 1530
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $25,606
75. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Acceptance Rate
- 65%
- Average SAT
- 1440
- Average ACT
- 32
- Net Price
- $39,127
76. University of Connecticut
- Acceptance Rate
- 55%
- Average SAT
- 1330
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 89%
77. University of California - Riverside
- Acceptance Rate
- 69%
- Receiving Aid
- 79%
- Average Aid
- $22,042
- Enrollment
- 26,809
78. Washington State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 83%
- Receiving Aid
- 88%
- Average Aid
- $10,689
- Enrollment
- 27,539
79. Florida State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 25%
- Average SAT
- 1290
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 93%
80. University of Houston
- Acceptance Rate
- 66%
- Average SAT
- 1245
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 83%
81. University of California - Santa Cruz
- Acceptance Rate
- 47%
- Receiving Aid
- 74%
- Average Aid
- $21,202
- Enrollment
- 19,478
82. University of Kentucky
- Acceptance Rate
- 95%
- Average SAT
- 1180
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 96%
83. University of Georgia
- Acceptance Rate
- 43%
- Average SAT
- 1320
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 94%
85. Colorado State University - Fort Collins
- Acceptance Rate
- 91%
- Average SAT
- 1185
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 84%
86. Emory University
- Acceptance Rate
- 11%
- Average SAT
- 1490
- Average ACT
- 33
- Net Price
- $26,680
87. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
- Acceptance Rate
- 76%
- Average SAT
- 1230
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 98%
88. University of Central Florida
- Acceptance Rate
- 41%
- Average SAT
- 1280
- Average ACT
- 27
- Receiving Aid
- 96%
89. University of Cincinnati
- Acceptance Rate
- 86%
- Average SAT
- 1260
- Average ACT
- 27
- Receiving Aid
- 84%
90. Oregon State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 83%
- Receiving Aid
- 91%
- Average Aid
- $9,260
- Enrollment
- 34,292
91. University of New Mexico
- Acceptance Rate
- 96%
- Average ACT
- 22
- Receiving Aid
- 97%
- Average Aid
- $9,280
92. University of Missouri - Columbia
- Acceptance Rate
- 79%
- Average SAT
- 1240
- Average ACT
- 27
- Receiving Aid
- 91%
93. University of South Carolina - Columbia
- Acceptance Rate
- 64%
- Average SAT
- 1280
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 98%
94. University of Miami
- Acceptance Rate
- 19%
- Average SAT
- 1395
- Average ACT
- 32
- Net Price
- $36,467
95. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
- Acceptance Rate
- 79%
- Average SAT
- 1225
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 95%
96. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
- Acceptance Rate
- 64%
- Net Price
- $11,830
- Receiving Aid
- 100%
- Average Aid
- $2,182
97. Northeastern University
- Acceptance Rate
- 7%
- Average SAT
- 1495
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $35,827
98. Wayne State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 75%
- Average SAT
- 1150
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 98%
100. Drexel University
- Acceptance Rate
- 80%
- Average SAT
- 1330
- Average ACT
- 30
- Net Price
- $39,267