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 490M citations received by 12.2M academic papers made by 1,623 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
- 1550
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $20,996
2. Stanford University
- Acceptance Rate
- 4%
- Average SAT
- 1545
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $25,078
3. University of California - Berkeley
- Acceptance Rate
- 11%
- Receiving Aid
- 63%
- Average Aid
- $29,608
- Enrollment
- 45,882
4. Harvard University
- Acceptance Rate
- 4%
- Average SAT
- 1545
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $17,525
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
- Acceptance Rate
- 16%
- Average SAT
- 1445
- Average ACT
- 33
- Receiving Aid
- 69%
6. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign
- Acceptance Rate
- 42%
- Average SAT
- 1415
- Average ACT
- 32
- Receiving Aid
- 64%
7. California Institute of Technology
- Acceptance Rate
- 3%
- Net Price
- $14,513
- Receiving Aid
- 70%
- Average Aid
- $72,373
8. Cornell University
- Acceptance Rate
- 9%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $26,361
9. University of California - Los Angeles
- Acceptance Rate
- 9%
- Receiving Aid
- 59%
- Average Aid
- $25,627
- Enrollment
- 47,335
10. University of Washington - Seattle
- Acceptance Rate
- 39%
- Receiving Aid
- 56%
- Average Aid
- $16,156
- Enrollment
- 56,997
12. Princeton University
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1545
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $15,313
13. Pennsylvania State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 61%
- Average SAT
- 1330
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 67%
14. University of Texas at Austin
- Acceptance Rate
- 27%
- Average SAT
- 1380
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 65%
15. University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Acceptance Rate
- 45%
- Average SAT
- 1450
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 60%
16. University of California-San Diego
- Acceptance Rate
- 27%
- Receiving Aid
- 66%
- Average Aid
- $25,757
- Enrollment
- 44,256
17. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Acceptance Rate
- 80%
- Average SAT
- 1400
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 81%
18. Georgia Institute of Technology
- Acceptance Rate
- 14%
- Average SAT
- 1455
- Average ACT
- 32
- Receiving Aid
- 73%
19. University of Maryland - College Park
- Acceptance Rate
- 45%
- Average SAT
- 1465
- Average ACT
- 34
- Receiving Aid
- 67%
20. Columbia University
- Acceptance Rate
- 4%
- Average SAT
- 1545
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $22,520
21. Johns Hopkins University
- Acceptance Rate
- 6%
- Average SAT
- 1545
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $26,017
22. University of Pennsylvania
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $23,570
23. Northwestern University
- Acceptance Rate
- 8%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $26,830
24. University of California - Santa Barbara
- Acceptance Rate
- 33%
- Receiving Aid
- 61%
- Average Aid
- $24,695
- Enrollment
- 26,133
25. Ohio State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 61%
- Average SAT
- 1395
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 80%
26. Purdue University
- Acceptance Rate
- 50%
- Average SAT
- 1340
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 59%
27. Yale University
- Acceptance Rate
- 4%
- Average SAT
- 1520
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $22,408
28. Texas A&M University - College Station
- Acceptance Rate
- 57%
- Average SAT
- 1275
- Average ACT
- 28
- Receiving Aid
- 74%
29. University of Chicago
- Acceptance Rate
- 4%
- Average SAT
- 1545
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $28,060
31. University of Florida
- Acceptance Rate
- 24%
- Average SAT
- 1400
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 94%
32. University of Arizona
- Acceptance Rate
- 86%
- Average SAT
- 1285
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 96%
33. University of Southern California
- Acceptance Rate
- 10%
- Average SAT
- 1500
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $43,412
34. University of California - Davis
- Acceptance Rate
- 42%
- Receiving Aid
- 65%
- Average Aid
- $24,591
- Enrollment
- 40,065
35. Carnegie Mellon University
- Acceptance Rate
- 12%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $35,552
36. Rutgers University - New Brunswick
- Acceptance Rate
- 58%
- Average SAT
- 1405
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 69%
37. University of Colorado Boulder
- Acceptance Rate
- 78%
- Average SAT
- 1335
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 67%
40. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Acceptance Rate
- 15%
- Average SAT
- 1460
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 59%
41. New York University
- Acceptance Rate
- 9%
- Average SAT
- 1520
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $30,325
42. Arizona State University - Tempe
- Acceptance Rate
- 90%
- Receiving Aid
- 93%
- Average Aid
- $12,172
- Enrollment
- 79,818
43. Michigan State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 85%
- Average SAT
- 1270
- Average ACT
- 28
- Receiving Aid
- 92%
45. Duke University
- Acceptance Rate
- 6%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $21,981
46. North Carolina State University at Raleigh
- Acceptance Rate
- 42%
- Average SAT
- 1385
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 69%
47. Iowa State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 89%
- Average SAT
- 1240
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 89%
48. University of Pittsburgh
- Acceptance Rate
- 58%
- Average SAT
- 1370
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 74%
49. University of Utah
- Acceptance Rate
- 86%
- Average SAT
- 1285
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 79%
50. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 55%
- Average SAT
- 1365
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 67%
51. University of California - Irvine
- Acceptance Rate
- 29%
- Receiving Aid
- 61%
- Average Aid
- $23,110
- Enrollment
- 37,297
52. University of Virginia
- Acceptance Rate
- 17%
- Average SAT
- 1475
- Average ACT
- 34
- Receiving Aid
- 57%
53. University of California - San Francisco
- Acceptance Rate
- 13%
- Enrollment
- 3,007
- Male:Female
- 36:64
- Founded
- 1864
54. University of Rochester
- Acceptance Rate
- 40%
- Average SAT
- 1475
- Average ACT
- 33
- Net Price
- $40,462
55. Boston University
- Acceptance Rate
- 11%
- Average SAT
- 1475
- Average ACT
- 33
- Net Price
- $24,420
56. Washington University in St Louis
- Acceptance Rate
- 12%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $22,408
57. Stony Brook University
- Acceptance Rate
- 49%
- Average SAT
- 1415
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 99%
58. Rice University
- Acceptance Rate
- 8%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $23,589
60. Case Western Reserve University
- Acceptance Rate
- 37%
- Average SAT
- 1485
- Average ACT
- 33
- Net Price
- $44,000
61. University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- Acceptance Rate
- 42%
- Average SAT
- 1285
- Average ACT
- 28
- Receiving Aid
- 96%
62. University of Massachusetts - Amherst
- Acceptance Rate
- 60%
- Average SAT
- 1405
- Average ACT
- 32
- Receiving Aid
- 89%
64. Brown University
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1545
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $26,256
65. University of Delaware
- Acceptance Rate
- 71%
- Average SAT
- 1280
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 94%
68. University of Iowa
- Acceptance Rate
- 84%
- Average SAT
- 1230
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 90%
69. University of Illinois at Chicago
- Acceptance Rate
- 77%
- Average SAT
- 1240
- Average ACT
- 28
- Receiving Aid
- 80%
70. University of Notre Dame
- Acceptance Rate
- 11%
- Average SAT
- 1508
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $29,300
72. Vanderbilt University
- Acceptance Rate
- 6%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $25,186
73. University at Buffalo
- Acceptance Rate
- 74%
- Average SAT
- 1295
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 86%
75. University of California - Riverside
- Acceptance Rate
- 76%
- Receiving Aid
- 80%
- Average Aid
- $24,355
- Enrollment
- 26,384
76. Florida State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 24%
- Average SAT
- 1340
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 94%
77. University of Connecticut
- Acceptance Rate
- 52%
- Average SAT
- 1325
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 88%
78. University of California - Santa Cruz
- Acceptance Rate
- 66%
- Receiving Aid
- 64%
- Average Aid
- $22,774
- Enrollment
- 19,938
79. Colorado State University - Fort Collins
- Acceptance Rate
- 89%
- Receiving Aid
- 79%
- Average Aid
- $10,160
- Enrollment
- 34,096
80. Washington State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 87%
- Receiving Aid
- 89%
- Average Aid
- $10,886
- Enrollment
- 25,685
81. University of Georgia
- Acceptance Rate
- 38%
- Average SAT
- 1375
- Average ACT
- 32
- Receiving Aid
- 89%
82. University of Houston
- Acceptance Rate
- 74%
- Average SAT
- 1250
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 83%
83. University of Kentucky
- Acceptance Rate
- 93%
- Average SAT
- 1180
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 97%
84. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Acceptance Rate
- 63%
- Average SAT
- 1443
- Average ACT
- 32
- Net Price
- $38,887
85. Emory University
- Acceptance Rate
- 11%
- Average SAT
- 1510
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $27,303
86. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
- Acceptance Rate
- 73%
- Average SAT
- 1260
- Average ACT
- 27
- Receiving Aid
- 93%
87. University of Central Florida
- Acceptance Rate
- 40%
- Average SAT
- 1275
- Average ACT
- 27
- Receiving Aid
- 92%
88. Oregon State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 77%
- Average SAT
- 1270
- Average ACT
- 28
- Receiving Aid
- 92%
89. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
- Acceptance Rate
- 39%
- Net Price
- $12,328
- Receiving Aid
- 100%
- Average Aid
- $2,018
90. University of Missouri - Columbia
- Acceptance Rate
- 78%
- Average SAT
- 1240
- Average ACT
- 27
- Receiving Aid
- 97%
91. University of Miami
- Acceptance Rate
- 19%
- Average SAT
- 1400
- Average ACT
- 32
- Net Price
- $45,397
92. University of Cincinnati
- Acceptance Rate
- 85%
- Average SAT
- 1265
- Average ACT
- 27
- Receiving Aid
- 88%
93. University of South Carolina - Columbia
- Acceptance Rate
- 60%
- Average SAT
- 1270
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 94%
94. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
- Acceptance Rate
- 87%
- Average SAT
- 1214
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 96%
95. University of New Mexico
- Acceptance Rate
- 95%
- Average SAT
- 1030
- Average ACT
- 23
- Receiving Aid
- 100%
96. Northeastern University
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1490
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $34,207
97. Drexel University
- Acceptance Rate
- 79%
- Average SAT
- 1340
- Average ACT
- 30
- Net Price
- $42,801
99. Wayne State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 81%
- Average SAT
- 1165
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 99%
100. Tufts University
- Acceptance Rate
- 11%
- Average SAT
- 1515
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $32,367