33 Best colleges for Nuclear Physics in Pennsylvania

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Pennsylvania ranked based on their research performance in Nuclear Physics. A graph of 2.6M citations received by 58.6K academic papers made by 33 universities in Pennsylvania 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. Pennsylvania State University

University Park

For Nuclear Physics

#22 in the United States

#23 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Average SAT: 1310
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 66%

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia

For Nuclear Physics

#26 in the United States

#27 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 6%
Average SAT: 1535
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $26,017

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh

For Nuclear Physics

#44 in the United States

#47 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Average SAT: 1535
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $32,964

4. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

For Nuclear Physics

#52 in the United States

#57 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Average SAT: 1360
Average ACT: 31
Receiving Aid: 87%

5. Drexel University

Philadelphia

For Nuclear Physics

#101 in the United States

#115 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average SAT: 1330
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $42,342

6. Temple University

Philadelphia

For Nuclear Physics

#104 in the United States

#119 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $11,891
Enrollment: 30,205

7. Lehigh University

Bethlehem

For Nuclear Physics

#116 in the United States

#135 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 29%
Average SAT: 1420
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $33,289

8. Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia

For Nuclear Physics

#163 in the United States

#189 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1250
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $29,097

9. Pennsylvania State University - College of Medicine

Hershey

For Nuclear Physics

#248 in the United States

#282 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1967

10. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore

For Nuclear Physics

#257 in the United States

#291 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1510
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $17,930

11. Duquesne University

Pittsburgh

For Nuclear Physics

#298 in the United States

#337 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1255
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $35,125

12. California University of Pennsylvania

California

For Nuclear Physics

#300 in the United States

#339 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $6,250
Enrollment: 6,885

13. Villanova University

Villanova

For Nuclear Physics

#304 in the United States

#344 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 25%
Average SAT: 1455
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $37,946

14. University of the Sciences

Philadelphia

For Nuclear Physics

#315 in the United States

#356 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Net Price: $29,948
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $14,493

15. Haverford College

Haverford

For Nuclear Physics

#328 in the United States

#371 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Average SAT: 1485
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $22,828

16. Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster

For Nuclear Physics

#329 in the United States

#372 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 32%
Average SAT: 1379
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $37,475

17. Bucknell University

Lewisburg

For Nuclear Physics

#351 in the United States

#394 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 32%
Average SAT: 1375
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $38,486

18. Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr

For Nuclear Physics

#361 in the United States

#406 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Average SAT: 1385
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $39,383

19. La Roche College

Pittsburgh

For Nuclear Physics

#366 in the United States

#411 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average SAT: 1145
Net Price: $24,638
Receiving Aid: 100%

20. Gettysburg College

Gettysburg

For Nuclear Physics

#371 in the United States

#417 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 48%
Average SAT: 1350
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $35,729

21. Wilkes University

Wilkes-Barre

For Nuclear Physics

#398 in the United States

#445 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1147
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $28,508

22. Allegheny College

Meadville

For Nuclear Physics

#423 in the United States

#472 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Average SAT: 1245
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $27,929

23. King's College - Pennsylvania

Wilkes-Barre

For Nuclear Physics

#450 in the United States

#500 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $25,608

24. Lafayette College

Easton

For Nuclear Physics

#465 in the United States

#515 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Average SAT: 1415
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $34,728

25. West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester

For Nuclear Physics

#483 in the United States

#533 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 88%

26. Geneva College

Beaver Falls

For Nuclear Physics

#505 in the United States

#557 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $22,145
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $20,748

27. University of Scranton

Scranton

For Nuclear Physics

#510 in the United States

#562 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $32,100

28. Juniata College

Huntingdon

For Nuclear Physics

#517 in the United States

#569 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1175
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $28,925

29. Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Indiana

For Nuclear Physics

#538 in the United States

#590 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1055
Average ACT: 21
Receiving Aid: 99%

30. Ursinus College

Collegeville

For Nuclear Physics

#542 in the United States

#594 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1260
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $31,625

31. Dickinson College

Carlisle

For Nuclear Physics

#550 in the United States

#603 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Net Price: $40,242
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $40,209

32. Muhlenberg College

Allentown

For Nuclear Physics

#624 in the United States

#678 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 64%
Average SAT: 1315
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $31,814

33. University of Valley Forge

Phoenixville

For Nuclear Physics

#645 in the United States

#700 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Net Price: $27,854
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $15,317

Closest to Pennsylvania states to learn Nuclear Physics

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Maryland	13	8
District of Columbia	7	93
New Jersey	13	4
New York	68	11
Connecticut	11	20
Virginia	19	50
Ohio	29	21
Massachusetts	27	2
Rhode Island	3	65
Vermont	4	162
New Hampshire	3	81
North Carolina	18	33
Indiana	14	28
Kentucky	8	73
Michigan	17	9
South Carolina	8	91
Maine	5	189
Tennessee	16	36
Illinois	30	12
Georgia	14	38
Wisconsin	12	10
Alabama	10	96
Iowa	8	42
Missouri	10	56
Mississippi	5	168
Minnesota	12	18
Arkansas	6	140
Florida	24	29
Louisiana	12	71
Kansas	5	84
South Dakota	6	275
Nebraska	6	77
Oklahoma	7	107
North Dakota	2	197
Texas	42	15
Colorado	12	24
New Mexico	5	63
Montana	3	127
Puerto Rico	5	230
Utah	5	43
Idaho	3	119
Arizona	4	30
Washington	12	13
Oregon	9	80
California	51	1
Hawaii	2	110