Best Physics Degrees in the US by ROI
Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs Analyzed
53
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
+$167,509
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$34,633
Cost of attendance
| # | College | State | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Portland State University
Grad rate: 52.9% |
OR | +$696,139 | $83,259 | $22,449 | $29,070 | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Grad rate: 92.4% |
GA | +$628,000 | $80,433 | $27,797 | $21,831 | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
Brigham Young University
Grad rate: 80.4% |
UT | +$601,844 | $76,268 | $20,879 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
University of Notre Dame
Grad rate: 96.6% |
IN | +$552,871 | $87,137 | $80,211 | $21,500 | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Grad rate: 85.3% |
CA | +$536,558 | $76,364 | $29,918 | $23,000 | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Grad rate: 95.5% |
MA | +$482,325 | $83,335 | $79,850 | $18,500 | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Grad rate: 93.2% |
MI | +$460,622 | $73,202 | $33,345 | $22,250 | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Grad rate: 70.5% |
WI | +$455,685 | $70,182 | $18,115 | $26,292 | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Grad rate: 89.3% |
WI | +$421,005 | $69,988 | $27,770 | $20,500 | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Grad rate: 83.5% |
NY | +$409,099 | $79,810 | $79,934 | $20,270 | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
California State University-San Marcos
Grad rate: 55.3% |
CA | +$367,660 | $65,899 | $21,144 | $19,069 | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
Florida State University
Grad rate: 83.9% |
FL | +$317,055 | $63,991 | $23,683 | $20,765 | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
Gustavus Adolphus College
Grad rate: 75.8% |
MN | +$234,476 | $68,674 | $65,976 | $26,000 | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
University of California-San Diego
Grad rate: 87.7% |
CA | +$215,240 | $61,161 | $36,325 | $16,800 | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
University of Arizona
Grad rate: 66.9% |
AZ | +$214,870 | $59,846 | $28,543 | $20,650 | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
University of California-Santa Barbara
Grad rate: 85.5% |
CA | +$204,720 | $60,670 | $36,776 | $15,982 | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
Salisbury University
Grad rate: 68.0% |
MD | +$192,901 | $58,475 | $26,134 | $23,750 | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
University of South Florida
Grad rate: 74.4% |
FL | +$181,283 | $57,060 | $22,301 | $22,750 | Full ROI → |
| 19 |
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Grad rate: 68.5% |
WA | +$177,109 | $56,903 | $24,462 | $17,113 | Full ROI → |
| 20 |
Rutgers University-Newark
Grad rate: 66.9% |
NJ | +$167,509 | $58,946 | $33,749 | $26,974 | Full ROI → |
| 21 |
Rutgers University-Camden
Grad rate: 65.7% |
NJ | +$167,257 | $58,946 | $33,812 | $26,974 | Full ROI → |
| 22 |
University of Florida
Grad rate: 90.7% |
FL | +$163,101 | $55,427 | $21,719 | $13,750 | Full ROI → |
| 23 |
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Grad rate: 84.7% |
NJ | +$161,577 | $58,946 | $35,232 | $26,974 | Full ROI → |
| 24 |
Appalachian State University
Grad rate: 74.1% |
NC | +$160,754 | $56,060 | $22,654 | $22,096 | Full ROI → |
| 25 |
Allegheny College
Grad rate: 67.2% |
PA | +$158,944 | $64,070 | $70,614 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 26 |
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Grad rate: 87.9% |
OH | +$155,928 | $57,237 | $29,320 | $23,357 | Full ROI → |
| 27 |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Grad rate: 84.0% |
WA | +$153,829 | $56,903 | $30,282 | $17,113 | Full ROI → |
| 28 |
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Grad rate: 66.4% |
WI | +$136,724 | $53,039 | $21,014 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 29 |
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Grad rate: 84.6% |
MN | +$135,596 | $56,175 | $29,013 | $23,594 | Full ROI → |
| 30 |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Grad rate: 86.3% |
VA | +$131,570 | $56,809 | $32,040 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 31 |
University of California-Riverside
Grad rate: 76.3% |
CA | +$126,170 | $56,586 | $34,975 | $19,000 | Full ROI → |
| 32 |
University of Maryland-College Park
Grad rate: 88.9% |
MD | +$125,686 | $55,262 | $28,073 | $20,194 | Full ROI → |
| 33 |
The University of Texas at Arlington
Grad rate: 55.1% |
TX | +$97,116 | $53,415 | $25,265 | $22,314 | Full ROI → |
| 34 |
Utah State University
Grad rate: 55.8% |
UT | +$88,820 | $50,651 | $21,050 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 35 |
Rowan University
Grad rate: 68.2% |
NJ | +$80,406 | $54,666 | $34,116 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 36 |
University of California-Berkeley
Grad rate: 93.5% |
CA | +$71,912 | $55,184 | $42,708 | $15,508 | Full ROI → |
| 37 |
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Grad rate: 83.1% |
MA | +$66,414 | $53,821 | $33,389 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 38 |
The University of Texas at Austin
Grad rate: 87.7% |
TX | +$57,222 | $52,202 | $29,842 | $20,333 | Full ROI → |
| 39 |
California State University-Long Beach
Grad rate: 71.3% |
CA | +$53,260 | $50,293 | $20,310 | $23,229 | Full ROI → |
| 40 |
University of Utah
Grad rate: 64.2% |
UT | +$46,517 | $50,170 | $21,799 | $21,990 | Full ROI → |
| 41 |
University of North Florida
Grad rate: 68.0% |
FL | +$43,724 | $48,232 | $20,229 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 42 |
Georgia State University
Grad rate: 54.3% |
GA | +$23,980 | $50,281 | $26,535 | $26,296 | Full ROI → |
| 43 |
University of Colorado Boulder
Grad rate: 74.9% |
CO | +$12,218 | $50,697 | $33,466 | $20,635 | Full ROI → |
| 44 |
Stony Brook University
Grad rate: 77.8% |
NY | +$1,831 | $49,390 | $29,174 | $21,683 | Full ROI → |
| 45 |
University of California-Los Angeles
Grad rate: 92.6% |
CA | -$10,897 | $50,208 | $36,643 | $21,100 | Full ROI → |
| 46 |
Michigan State University
Grad rate: 81.9% |
MI | -$42,842 | $47,786 | $30,528 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 47 |
University at Albany
Grad rate: 64.7% |
NY | -$66,546 | $46,006 | $28,490 | $24,227 | Full ROI → |
| 48 |
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Grad rate: 67.4% |
AZ | -$73,673 | $45,593 | $28,047 | $24,700 | Full ROI → |
| 49 |
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Grad rate: 84.8% |
IL | -$105,911 | $44,515 | $32,134 | $20,500 | Full ROI → |
| 50 |
University of California-Davis
Grad rate: 85.7% |
CA | -$122,254 | $44,612 | $38,067 | $16,464 | Full ROI → |
How ROI is calculated
20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.
Find Best Physics Degrees by State
Browse Physics programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.