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 468M citations received by 12M academic papers made by 1,617 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
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1545
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $21,519
2. Stanford University
- Acceptance Rate
- 4%
- Average SAT
- 1545
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $17,998
3. University of California - Berkeley
- Acceptance Rate
- 12%
- Receiving Aid
- 61%
- Average Aid
- $25,951
- Enrollment
- 45,699
4. Harvard University
- Acceptance Rate
- 3%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $17,900
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
- Acceptance Rate
- 18%
- Average SAT
- 1440
- Average ACT
- 33
- Receiving Aid
- 66%
6. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign
- Acceptance Rate
- 44%
- Average SAT
- 1390
- Average ACT
- 32
- Receiving Aid
- 61%
7. California Institute of Technology
- Acceptance Rate
- 3%
- Net Price
- $23,397
- Receiving Aid
- 68%
- Average Aid
- $60,201
8. Cornell University
- Acceptance Rate
- 8%
- Average SAT
- 1520
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $26,455
9. University of California - Los Angeles
- Acceptance Rate
- 9%
- Receiving Aid
- 60%
- Average Aid
- $22,441
- Enrollment
- 46,678
10. University of Washington - Seattle
- Acceptance Rate
- 43%
- Receiving Aid
- 55%
- Average Aid
- $14,390
- Enrollment
- 55,620
12. Princeton University
- Acceptance Rate
- 4%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $19,811
13. Pennsylvania State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 54%
- Average SAT
- 1310
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 66%
14. University of Texas at Austin
- Acceptance Rate
- 29%
- Average SAT
- 1360
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 69%
15. University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Acceptance Rate
- 43%
- Average SAT
- 1435
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 60%
16. University of California-San Diego
- Acceptance Rate
- 25%
- Receiving Aid
- 70%
- Average Aid
- $24,176
- Enrollment
- 42,376
17. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Acceptance Rate
- 77%
- Average SAT
- 1395
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 81%
18. Georgia Institute of Technology
- Acceptance Rate
- 16%
- Average SAT
- 1430
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 73%
19. University of Maryland - College Park
- Acceptance Rate
- 45%
- Average SAT
- 1445
- Average ACT
- 34
- Receiving Aid
- 65%
20. Columbia University
- Acceptance Rate
- 4%
- Average SAT
- 1530
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $20,869
21. Johns Hopkins University
- Acceptance Rate
- 8%
- Average SAT
- 1555
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $22,844
22. University of Pennsylvania
- Acceptance Rate
- 6%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $26,017
23. Northwestern University
- Acceptance Rate
- 7%
- Average SAT
- 1525
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $23,341
24. University of California - Santa Barbara
- Acceptance Rate
- 28%
- Receiving Aid
- 58%
- Average Aid
- $21,732
- Enrollment
- 26,068
25. Ohio State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 51%
- Average SAT
- 1405
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 75%
26. Purdue University
- Acceptance Rate
- 50%
- Average SAT
- 1325
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 60%
27. Yale University
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $26,044
28. University of Chicago
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $27,979
29. Texas A&M University - College Station
- Acceptance Rate
- 63%
- Average SAT
- 1260
- Average ACT
- 28
- Receiving Aid
- 77%
31. University of Florida
- Acceptance Rate
- 24%
- Average SAT
- 1390
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 92%
32. University of Arizona
- Acceptance Rate
- 86%
- Average SAT
- 1290
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 98%
33. University of Southern California
- Acceptance Rate
- 10%
- Average SAT
- 1495
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $41,496
34. University of California - Davis
- Acceptance Rate
- 42%
- Receiving Aid
- 58%
- Average Aid
- $21,258
- Enrollment
- 39,707
35. Carnegie Mellon University
- Acceptance Rate
- 11%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $32,964
36. Rutgers University - New Brunswick
- Acceptance Rate
- 65%
- Average SAT
- 1375
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 71%
37. University of Colorado Boulder
- Acceptance Rate
- 83%
- Average SAT
- 1325
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 66%
39. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Acceptance Rate
- 19%
- Average SAT
- 1450
- Average ACT
- 32
- Receiving Aid
- 58%
41. New York University
- Acceptance Rate
- 9%
- Average SAT
- 1525
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $30,730
42. Michigan State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 84%
- Average SAT
- 1250
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 97%
43. Arizona State University - Tempe
- Acceptance Rate
- 90%
- Receiving Aid
- 93%
- Average Aid
- $11,992
- Enrollment
- 79,593
45. Duke University
- Acceptance Rate
- 7%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $23,422
46. Iowa State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 89%
- Average SAT
- 1230
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 89%
47. North Carolina State University at Raleigh
- Acceptance Rate
- 40%
- Average SAT
- 1380
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 68%
48. University of Pittsburgh
- Acceptance Rate
- 50%
- Average SAT
- 1360
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 87%
49. University of Utah
- Acceptance Rate
- 87%
- Average SAT
- 1289
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 79%
50. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 57%
- Average SAT
- 1330
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 69%
51. University of California - Irvine
- Acceptance Rate
- 26%
- Receiving Aid
- 71%
- Average Aid
- $21,533
- Enrollment
- 36,582
52. University of Virginia
- Acceptance Rate
- 17%
- Average SAT
- 1470
- Average ACT
- 33
- Receiving Aid
- 44%
53. University of Rochester
- Acceptance Rate
- 36%
- Average SAT
- 1470
- Average ACT
- 33
- Net Price
- $40,900
54. University of California - San Francisco
- Acceptance Rate
- 13%
- Enrollment
- 3,126
- Male:Female
- 35:65
- Founded
- 1864
55. Boston University
- Acceptance Rate
- 11%
- Average SAT
- 1460
- Average ACT
- 33
- Net Price
- $27,551
56. Washington University in St Louis
- Acceptance Rate
- 12%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $22,440
57. Stony Brook University
- Acceptance Rate
- 49%
- Average SAT
- 1405
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 89%
58. Rice University
- Acceptance Rate
- 8%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $20,587
60. Case Western Reserve University
- Acceptance Rate
- 29%
- Average SAT
- 1485
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $41,351
61. University of Massachusetts - Amherst
- Acceptance Rate
- 58%
- Average SAT
- 1390
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 87%
62. University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- Acceptance Rate
- 46%
- Average SAT
- 1265
- Average ACT
- 28
- Receiving Aid
- 90%
64. Brown University
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $26,608
65. University of Delaware
- Acceptance Rate
- 65%
- Average SAT
- 1280
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 92%
67. University of Iowa
- Acceptance Rate
- 85%
- Average SAT
- 1225
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 88%
69. University of Illinois at Chicago
- Acceptance Rate
- 79%
- Average SAT
- 1230
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 80%
70. University of Notre Dame
- Acceptance Rate
- 12%
- Average SAT
- 1490
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $29,083
72. University at Buffalo
- Acceptance Rate
- 69%
- Average SAT
- 1295
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 86%
73. Vanderbilt University
- Acceptance Rate
- 6%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $26,689
74. University of California - Riverside
- Acceptance Rate
- 63%
- Receiving Aid
- 75%
- Average Aid
- $21,566
- Enrollment
- 26,426
75. Florida State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 25%
- Average SAT
- 1315
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 95%
77. University of Connecticut
- Acceptance Rate
- 54%
- Average SAT
- 1315
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 83%
78. University of California - Santa Cruz
- Acceptance Rate
- 63%
- Receiving Aid
- 71%
- Average Aid
- $21,564
- Enrollment
- 19,764
79. University of Georgia
- Acceptance Rate
- 37%
- Average SAT
- 1275
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 84%
80. Colorado State University - Fort Collins
- Acceptance Rate
- 90%
- Receiving Aid
- 74%
- Average Aid
- $10,554
- Enrollment
- 33,500
81. Washington State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 85%
- Receiving Aid
- 91%
- Average Aid
- $10,370
- Enrollment
- 26,490
82. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Acceptance Rate
- 58%
- Average SAT
- 1415
- Average ACT
- 32
- Net Price
- $35,940
83. University of Kentucky
- Acceptance Rate
- 92%
- Average SAT
- 1185
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 97%
84. University of Houston
- Acceptance Rate
- 70%
- Average SAT
- 1240
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 83%
85. Emory University
- Acceptance Rate
- 11%
- Average SAT
- 1505
- Average ACT
- 33
- Net Price
- $27,986
86. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
- Acceptance Rate
- 74%
- Average SAT
- 1240
- Average ACT
- 27
- Receiving Aid
- 93%
87. University of Central Florida
- Acceptance Rate
- 40%
- Average SAT
- 1270
- Average ACT
- 27
- Receiving Aid
- 91%
88. Oregon State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 79%
- Receiving Aid
- 92%
- Average Aid
- $9,922
- Enrollment
- 35,622
89. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
- Acceptance Rate
- 39%
- Net Price
- $11,577
- Receiving Aid
- 100%
- Average Aid
- $1,900
90. University of Missouri - Columbia
- Acceptance Rate
- 77%
- Average SAT
- 1240
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 90%
91. University of Miami
- Acceptance Rate
- 19%
- Average SAT
- 1400
- Average ACT
- 32
- Net Price
- $41,028
92. University of Cincinnati
- Acceptance Rate
- 88%
- Average SAT
- 1255
- Average ACT
- 27
- Receiving Aid
- 87%
93. University of South Carolina - Columbia
- Acceptance Rate
- 61%
- Average SAT
- 1280
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 95%
94. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
- Acceptance Rate
- 77%
- Average SAT
- 1210
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 97%
95. University of New Mexico
- Acceptance Rate
- 95%
- Average SAT
- 1030
- Average ACT
- 23
- Receiving Aid
- 100%
96. Northeastern University
- Acceptance Rate
- 6%
- Average SAT
- 1505
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $34,770
97. Wayne State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 82%
- Average SAT
- 1150
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 97%
99. Drexel University
- Acceptance Rate
- 78%
- Average SAT
- 1330
- Average ACT
- 30
- Net Price
- $42,342
100. Tufts University
- Acceptance Rate
- 10%
- Average SAT
- 1505
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $33,333