Best Universities for Theoretical Physics in North America
Updated:
Below is a list of best universities in North America ranked based on their research performance in Theoretical Physics. A graph of 19.2M citations received by 394K academic papers made by 452 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. Princeton University
- Acceptance Rate
- 4%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $19,811
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1545
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $21,519
3. Harvard University
- Acceptance Rate
- 3%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $17,900
4. Stanford University
- Acceptance Rate
- 4%
- Average SAT
- 1545
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $17,998
5. University of California - Santa Barbara
- Acceptance Rate
- 28%
- Receiving Aid
- 58%
- Average Aid
- $21,732
- Enrollment
- 26,068
6. California Institute of Technology
- Acceptance Rate
- 3%
- Net Price
- $23,397
- Receiving Aid
- 68%
- Average Aid
- $60,201
7. University of California - Berkeley
- Acceptance Rate
- 12%
- Receiving Aid
- 61%
- Average Aid
- $25,951
- Enrollment
- 45,699
8. University of Chicago
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $27,979
9. University of Maryland - College Park
- Acceptance Rate
- 45%
- Average SAT
- 1445
- Average ACT
- 34
- Receiving Aid
- 65%
10. Rutgers University - New Brunswick
- Acceptance Rate
- 65%
- Average SAT
- 1375
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 71%
11. University of Texas at Austin
- Acceptance Rate
- 29%
- Average SAT
- 1360
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 69%
12. Cornell University
- Acceptance Rate
- 8%
- Average SAT
- 1520
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $26,455
13. University of Pennsylvania
- Acceptance Rate
- 6%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $26,017
14. Stony Brook University
- Acceptance Rate
- 49%
- Average SAT
- 1405
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 89%
15. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
- Acceptance Rate
- 18%
- Average SAT
- 1440
- Average ACT
- 33
- Receiving Aid
- 66%
16. Pennsylvania State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 54%
- Average SAT
- 1310
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 66%
18. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign
- Acceptance Rate
- 44%
- Average SAT
- 1390
- Average ACT
- 32
- Receiving Aid
- 61%
19. Columbia University
- Acceptance Rate
- 4%
- Average SAT
- 1530
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $20,869
20. New York University
- Acceptance Rate
- 9%
- Average SAT
- 1525
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $30,730
21. University of Washington - Seattle
- Acceptance Rate
- 43%
- Receiving Aid
- 55%
- Average Aid
- $14,390
- Enrollment
- 55,620
22. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- Acceptance Rate
- 77%
- Average SAT
- 1395
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 81%
23. University of California - Los Angeles
- Acceptance Rate
- 9%
- Receiving Aid
- 60%
- Average Aid
- $22,441
- Enrollment
- 46,678
24. Yale University
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $26,044
27. University of California-San Diego
- Acceptance Rate
- 25%
- Receiving Aid
- 70%
- Average Aid
- $24,176
- Enrollment
- 42,376
28. Texas A&M University - College Station
- Acceptance Rate
- 63%
- Average SAT
- 1260
- Average ACT
- 28
- Receiving Aid
- 77%
29. University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Acceptance Rate
- 43%
- Average SAT
- 1435
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 60%
30. University of Florida
- Acceptance Rate
- 24%
- Average SAT
- 1390
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 92%
31. Ohio State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 51%
- Average SAT
- 1405
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 75%
33. University of California - Davis
- Acceptance Rate
- 42%
- Receiving Aid
- 58%
- Average Aid
- $21,258
- Enrollment
- 39,707
34. University of Arizona
- Acceptance Rate
- 86%
- Average SAT
- 1290
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 98%
35. Boston University
- Acceptance Rate
- 11%
- Average SAT
- 1460
- Average ACT
- 33
- Net Price
- $27,551
36. Brown University
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $26,608
37. Carnegie Mellon University
- Acceptance Rate
- 11%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $32,964
38. University of Colorado Boulder
- Acceptance Rate
- 83%
- Average SAT
- 1325
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 66%
39. University of Southern California
- Acceptance Rate
- 10%
- Average SAT
- 1495
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $41,496
41. Johns Hopkins University
- Acceptance Rate
- 8%
- Average SAT
- 1555
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $22,844
42. University of California - Irvine
- Acceptance Rate
- 26%
- Receiving Aid
- 71%
- Average Aid
- $21,533
- Enrollment
- 36,582
44. Syracuse University
- Acceptance Rate
- 42%
- Average SAT
- 1345
- Average ACT
- 30
- Net Price
- $51,520
45. Purdue University
- Acceptance Rate
- 50%
- Average SAT
- 1325
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 60%
46. University of California - Santa Cruz
- Acceptance Rate
- 63%
- Receiving Aid
- 71%
- Average Aid
- $21,564
- Enrollment
- 19,764
47. University of Pittsburgh
- Acceptance Rate
- 50%
- Average SAT
- 1360
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 87%
48. Washington University in St Louis
- Acceptance Rate
- 12%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $22,440
49. University of Rochester
- Acceptance Rate
- 36%
- Average SAT
- 1470
- Average ACT
- 33
- Net Price
- $40,900
50. Georgia Institute of Technology
- Acceptance Rate
- 16%
- Average SAT
- 1430
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 73%
51. Duke University
- Acceptance Rate
- 7%
- Average SAT
- 1540
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $23,422
52. Michigan State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 84%
- Average SAT
- 1250
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 97%
53. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Acceptance Rate
- 19%
- Average SAT
- 1450
- Average ACT
- 32
- Receiving Aid
- 58%
54. Brandeis University
- Acceptance Rate
- 35%
- Average SAT
- 1460
- Average ACT
- 33
- Net Price
- $44,668
56. Northwestern University
- Acceptance Rate
- 7%
- Average SAT
- 1525
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $23,341
57. University of Massachusetts - Amherst
- Acceptance Rate
- 58%
- Average SAT
- 1390
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 87%
58. Northeastern University
- Acceptance Rate
- 6%
- Average SAT
- 1505
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $34,770
59. University of Tennessee - Knoxville
- Acceptance Rate
- 46%
- Average SAT
- 1265
- Average ACT
- 28
- Receiving Aid
- 90%
60. Florida State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 25%
- Average SAT
- 1315
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 95%
61. University of Utah
- Acceptance Rate
- 87%
- Average SAT
- 1289
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 79%
62. Tufts University
- Acceptance Rate
- 10%
- Average SAT
- 1505
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $33,333
63. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
- Acceptance Rate
- 74%
- Average SAT
- 1240
- Average ACT
- 27
- Receiving Aid
- 93%
64. CUNY City College
- Acceptance Rate
- 58%
- Average SAT
- 1340
- Receiving Aid
- 91%
- Average Aid
- $9,236
65. University of Notre Dame
- Acceptance Rate
- 12%
- Average SAT
- 1490
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $29,083
66. Tulane University of Louisiana
- Acceptance Rate
- 15%
- Average SAT
- 1450
- Average ACT
- 32
- Net Price
- $50,631
67. University of Virginia
- Acceptance Rate
- 17%
- Average SAT
- 1470
- Average ACT
- 33
- Receiving Aid
- 44%
69. University of California - Riverside
- Acceptance Rate
- 63%
- Receiving Aid
- 75%
- Average Aid
- $21,566
- Enrollment
- 26,426
70. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 57%
- Average SAT
- 1330
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 69%
71. University of Delaware
- Acceptance Rate
- 65%
- Average SAT
- 1280
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 92%
72. University of Illinois at Chicago
- Acceptance Rate
- 79%
- Average SAT
- 1230
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 80%
73. North Carolina State University at Raleigh
- Acceptance Rate
- 40%
- Average SAT
- 1380
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 68%
74. Arizona State University - Tempe
- Acceptance Rate
- 90%
- Receiving Aid
- 93%
- Average Aid
- $11,992
- Enrollment
- 79,593
75. University of Oregon
- Acceptance Rate
- 85%
- Average SAT
- 1245
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 90%
76. Iowa State University
- Acceptance Rate
- 89%
- Average SAT
- 1230
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 89%
77. Temple University
- Acceptance Rate
- 83%
- Receiving Aid
- 94%
- Average Aid
- $11,891
- Enrollment
- 30,205
78. University of New Mexico
- Acceptance Rate
- 95%
- Average SAT
- 1030
- Average ACT
- 23
- Receiving Aid
- 100%
79. University of Connecticut
- Acceptance Rate
- 54%
- Average SAT
- 1315
- Average ACT
- 31
- Receiving Aid
- 83%
82. Case Western Reserve University
- Acceptance Rate
- 29%
- Average SAT
- 1485
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $41,351
83. University of Oklahoma - Norman
- Acceptance Rate
- 77%
- Average SAT
- 1235
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 99%
84. University of Missouri - Columbia
- Acceptance Rate
- 77%
- Average SAT
- 1240
- Average ACT
- 26
- Receiving Aid
- 90%
85. University at Buffalo
- Acceptance Rate
- 69%
- Average SAT
- 1295
- Average ACT
- 30
- Receiving Aid
- 86%
87. Rice University
- Acceptance Rate
- 8%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $20,587
88. University of Miami
- Acceptance Rate
- 19%
- Average SAT
- 1400
- Average ACT
- 32
- Net Price
- $41,028
89. Rockefeller University
- Acceptance Rate
- 12%
- Enrollment
- 286
- Male:Female
- 51:49
- Founded
- 1901
90. Dartmouth College
- Acceptance Rate
- 6%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 34
- Net Price
- $17,322
91. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
- Acceptance Rate
- 88%
- Average ACT
- 21
- Receiving Aid
- 89%
- Average Aid
- $5,305
93. University of Cincinnati
- Acceptance Rate
- 88%
- Average SAT
- 1255
- Average ACT
- 27
- Receiving Aid
- 87%
94. Vanderbilt University
- Acceptance Rate
- 6%
- Average SAT
- 1535
- Average ACT
- 35
- Net Price
- $26,689
95. University of Georgia
- Acceptance Rate
- 37%
- Average SAT
- 1275
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 84%
96. College of William and Mary
- Acceptance Rate
- 33%
- Average SAT
- 1438
- Average ACT
- 33
- Receiving Aid
- 54%
98. University of South Carolina - Columbia
- Acceptance Rate
- 61%
- Average SAT
- 1280
- Average ACT
- 29
- Receiving Aid
- 95%
99. University of Iowa
- Acceptance Rate
- 85%
- Average SAT
- 1225
- Average ACT
- 25
- Receiving Aid
- 88%
100. University of South Florida
- Acceptance Rate
- 41%
- Average SAT
- 1235
- Average ACT
- 27
- Receiving Aid
- 88%