1,530 colleges are offering Physical Sciences program through certificate, undergraduate, and graduate levels. For bachelor's degree, 1,190 schools have the Physical Sciences program and 365 schools are offering the program in graduate levels. In 2023, a total of 49,316 students completed the program and earned a degree or certificate in the area. By degree level, 385 students earned undergraduate certificate, 5,473 students earned associate's, 29,859 students earned bachelor's, and 13,424 students earned master's or doctoral degrees.
- 1 March 2024 (Updated)
Expected Earning after Completing Physical Sciences Program is $47,272
Colleges Offering Physical Sciences and Number of Degree Earners
The 2024 average tuition of schools that have Physical Sciences program is $10,334 for state residents and $33,104 for out-of-state students. For graduate Physical Sciences programs, the average tuition is $11,694 for state residents and $26,975 for out-of-state students.
The following table summarizes the Physical Sciences schools by offered degree and number of completers.
| Degree Level | Schools Offered | Completers | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Men | Women | ||
| Associate | 356 | 5,473 | 2,962 | 2,511 |
| Bachelor | 1,190 | 29,859 | 16,313 | 13,546 |
| Master | 365 | 6,875 | 4,114 | 2,761 |
| Doctoral | ||||
| Doctoral (Research) | 234 | 6,549 | 4,231 | 2,318 |
| Doctoral (Other) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Undergraduate Certificate | ||||
| 2-Years Certificate | 25 | 37 | 18 | 19 |
| 2-4 Years Certificate | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Certificates of less than 12 weeks | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year | 44 | 345 | 182 | 163 |
| Graduate Certificate | ||||
| Post-Bachelor Certificate | 70 | 175 | 104 | 71 |
| Post-Master Certificate | 14 | 56 | 27 | 29 |
Data Source: IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education
Average Salary by Program in Physical Sciences Study
The average salary after completing bachelor's Physical Sciences is $47,272. The salary is based on the median annual earnings of students three years after graduation. The earning with Physical Sciences Master's degree is $72,313.
The average loan debt of the completers in Physical Sciences programs is $21,957
and the estimated monthly loan payment is $220. The debt amount is based only on federal loan debt originated at the school awarding the credential, if it were repaid over 10 years at a 3.73% interest rate.
For Physical Sciences program, the graduates from Massachusetts Institute of Technology have the highest earning of $83,335 (Bachelor's degree). Students from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo follow it with average earning $79,810 and $76,364 respectively.
| Tuition & Fees | Annual Salary | Monthly Earning | Loan Debt | Monthly Loan Payment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $60,156 | $83,335 | $6,945 | $12,500 | $125 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | $61,884 | $79,810 | $6,651 | $26,000 | $260 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $30,995 | $76,364 | $6,364 | $19,750 | $197 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | $63,829 | $70,480 | $5,873 | - | - |
| Northeastern University | $63,141 | $66,456 | $5,538 | $23,510 | $235 |
Data Source: College Scorecard
Average Earning and Debt by Physical Sciences Sub Major Programs
In Physical Sciences area, the graduates who completing Materials Sciences program have the highest salary of $71,277 and Physics program have the second highest salary of $54,168 in average.
Associate's Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences program shows the highest earning ($46,071) and Physical Sciences program follows with $29,870 average salary.
Physics Master's program has $84,235 average salary and Chemistry program completers earn $79,696 yearly.
The next table shows the average earning and debt after completing Physical Sciences area by major program and degree. The average annual earning is calculated based on the earning of students three years after graduation.
- Only data from students who received federal financial aid are included in the calculation.
- The actual earning may differ from the average value.
| Annual Salary | Monthly Earning | Loan Debt | Monthly Loan Payment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Sciences Program Details | ||||
| Associate | $29,870 | $2,489 | $8,073 | $81 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics Program Details | ||||
| Bachelor's | $43,521 | $3,627 | $23,500 | $235 |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Program Details | ||||
| Bachelor's | $45,286 | $3,774 | $22,497 | $225 |
| Chemistry Program Details | ||||
| Bachelor's | $45,812 | $3,818 | $21,821 | $218 |
| Master's | $79,696 | $6,641 | $28,302 | $318 |
| Doctoral | $87,477 | $7,290 | - | - |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences Program Details | ||||
| Associate | $46,071 | $3,839 | - | - |
| Bachelor's | $45,921 | $3,827 | $22,216 | $222 |
| Master's | $65,742 | $5,479 | $28,377 | $319 |
| Doctoral | $70,640 | $5,887 | - | - |
| Physics Program Details | ||||
| Associate | $18,469 | $1,539 | - | - |
| Bachelor's | $54,168 | $4,514 | $21,801 | $218 |
| Master's | $84,235 | $7,020 | - | - |
| Doctoral | $106,638 | $8,887 | - | - |
| Materials Sciences Program Details | ||||
| Bachelor's | $71,277 | $5,940 | $26,210 | $262 |
Data Source: College Scorecard
