Best Applied Physics Universities in United States [2026 Rankings]

1

Massachusetts | Cambridge, MA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

For Applied Physics

#1 in North America #1 in the World

5% Acceptance

4,535 Enrollment

1550 Avg SAT

1861 Founded

2

California | Berkeley

University of California – Berkeley

For Applied Physics

#2 in North America #2 in the World

11% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1868 Founded

3

California | Stanford

Stanford University

For Applied Physics

#3 in North America #5 in the World

4% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

4

Pennsylvania | University Park, PA

Pennsylvania State University

For Applied Physics

#4 in North America #7 in the World

61% Acceptance

42,604 Enrollment

1330 Avg SAT

1855 Founded

5

Illinois | Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign

For Applied Physics

#5 in North America #9 in the World

42% Acceptance

37,140 Enrollment

1415 Avg SAT

1867 Founded

6

California | Los Angeles

University of California – Los Angeles

For Applied Physics

#6 in North America #11 in the World

9% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1919 Founded

7

Texas | Austin, TX

University of Texas at Austin

For Applied Physics

#7 in North America #12 in the World

27% Acceptance

43,165 Enrollment

1380 Avg SAT

1883 Founded

8

Georgia, US | Atlanta

Georgia Institute of Technology

For Applied Physics

#8 in North America #13 in the World

14% Acceptance

1,070 Enrollment

1455 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

9

California | Pasadena, CA

California Institute of Technology

For Applied Physics

#9 in North America #14 in the World

3% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

10

Michigan | Ann Arbor

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

For Applied Physics

#10 in North America #15 in the World

16% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1445 Avg SAT

1817 Founded

11

Indiana | West Lafayette

Purdue University

For Applied Physics

#11 in North America #17 in the World

50% Acceptance

44,819 Enrollment

1340 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

12

Maryland | College Park

University of Maryland – College Park

For Applied Physics

#12 in North America #23 in the World

45% Acceptance

31,133 Enrollment

1465 Avg SAT

1856 Founded

13

New York State | Ithaca

Cornell University

For Applied Physics

#13 in North America #24 in the World

9% Acceptance

16,128 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1865 Founded

14

Illinois | Evanston

Northwestern University

For Applied Physics

#14 in North America #27 in the World

8% Acceptance

9,399 Enrollment

1540 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

15

California | Santa Barbara

University of California – Santa Barbara

For Applied Physics

#15 in North America #33 in the World

33% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1921 Founded

16

Ohio | Columbus, OH

Ohio State University

For Applied Physics

#16 in North America #35 in the World

61% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1395 Avg SAT

1870 Founded

17

Michigan | East Lansing

Michigan State University

For Applied Physics

#17 in North America #37 in the World

85% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1270 Avg SAT

1855 Founded

18

Illinois | Chicago

University of Chicago

For Applied Physics

#18 in North America #40 in the World

4% Acceptance

7,598 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

19

Arizona | Tempe

Arizona State University – Tempe

For Applied Physics

#19 in North America #41 in the World

90% Acceptance

38,313 Enrollment

970 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

20

North Carolina | Raleigh

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

For Applied Physics

#20 in North America #42 in the World

42% Acceptance

28,422 Enrollment

1385 Avg SAT

1887 Founded

21

Wisconsin | Madison, WI

University of Wisconsin – Madison

For Applied Physics

#21 in North America #45 in the World

45% Acceptance

38,040 Enrollment

1450 Avg SAT

1848 Founded

22

Washington | Seattle

University of Washington – Seattle

For Applied Physics

#22 in North America #46 in the World

39% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1315 Avg SAT

1861 Founded

23

New Jersey | Princeton, NJ

Princeton University

For Applied Physics

#23 in North America #48 in the World

5% Acceptance

5,813 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1746 Founded

24

California | San Diego

University of California-San Diego

For Applied Physics

#24 in North America #49 in the World

27% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1960 Founded

25

Pennsylvania | Philadelphia

University of Pennsylvania

For Applied Physics

#25 in North America #50 in the World

5% Acceptance

1,947 Enrollment

1540 Avg SAT

1740 Founded

26

California | Davis

University of California – Davis

For Applied Physics

#26 in North America #52 in the World

42% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1905 Founded

27

Minnesota | Minneapolis

University of Minnesota – Twin Cities

For Applied Physics

#27 in North America #55 in the World

80% Acceptance

15,019 Enrollment

1400 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

28

Virginia | Blacksburg

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

For Applied Physics

#28 in North America #56 in the World

55% Acceptance

31,035 Enrollment

1365 Avg SAT

1872 Founded

29

Massachusetts | Cambridge, MA

Harvard University

For Applied Physics

#29 in North America #60 in the World

4% Acceptance

1,489 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1636 Founded

30

New York State | Stony Brook

Stony Brook University

For Applied Physics

#30 in North America #61 in the World

49% Acceptance

18,263 Enrollment

1415 Avg SAT

1957 Founded

31

Iowa State | Ames

Iowa State University

For Applied Physics

#32 in North America #64 in the World

89% Acceptance

25,628 Enrollment

1240 Avg SAT

1858 Founded

32

Florida | Gainesville, FL

University of Florida

For Applied Physics

#34 in North America #68 in the World

24% Acceptance

36,573 Enrollment

1400 Avg SAT

1853 Founded

33

Texas | College Station

Texas A&M University – College Station

For Applied Physics

#35 in North America #74 in the World

57% Acceptance

60,710 Enrollment

1275 Avg SAT

1876 Founded

34

Arizona | Tucson

University of Arizona

For Applied Physics

#36 in North America #76 in the World

86% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1285 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

35

Texas | Houston, TX

University of Houston

For Applied Physics

#37 in North America #83 in the World

74% Acceptance

39,257 Enrollment

1250 Avg SAT

1927 Founded

36

New Jersey | New Brunswick, NJ

Rutgers University – New Brunswick

For Applied Physics

#38 in North America #85 in the World

58% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1405 Avg SAT

1766 Founded

37

New York State | Troy, NY

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

For Applied Physics

#39 in North America #90 in the World

63% Acceptance

5,741 Enrollment

1443 Avg SAT

1824 Founded

38

Colorado | Boulder

University of Colorado Boulder

For Applied Physics

#40 in North America #94 in the World

78% Acceptance

34,096 Enrollment

1335 Avg SAT

1876 Founded

39

Tennessee | Knoxville

University of Tennessee – Knoxville

For Applied Physics

#41 in North America #95 in the World

42% Acceptance

30,564 Enrollment

1285 Avg SAT

1794 Founded

40

New York State | New York City

Columbia University

For Applied Physics

#42 in North America #100 in the World

4% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1754 Founded

41

Ohio | Cleveland, OH

Case Western Reserve University

For Applied Physics

#43 in North America #101 in the World

37% Acceptance

6,636 Enrollment

1485 Avg SAT

1826 Founded

42

Delaware, US | Newark, DE

University of Delaware

For Applied Physics

#44 in North America #102 in the World

71% Acceptance

20,026 Enrollment

1280 Avg SAT

1743 Founded

43

Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh

Carnegie Mellon University

For Applied Physics

#45 in North America #110 in the World

12% Acceptance

7,377 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1900 Founded

44

New York State | Rochester, NY

University of Rochester

For Applied Physics

#46 in North America #116 in the World

40% Acceptance

6,580 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1850 Founded

45

Florida | Tallahassee

Florida State University

For Applied Physics

#47 in North America #119 in the World

24% Acceptance

6,768 Enrollment

1340 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

46

Connecticut | New Haven

Yale University

For Applied Physics

#48 in North America #125 in the World

4% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1520 Avg SAT

1701 Founded

47

Texas | Houston, TX

Rice University

For Applied Physics

#49 in North America #128 in the World

8% Acceptance

4,789 Enrollment

1540 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

48

California | Los Angeles

University of Southern California

For Applied Physics

#50 in North America #131 in the World

10% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1880 Founded

49

Rhode Island | Providence

Brown University

For Applied Physics

#52 in North America #136 in the World

5% Acceptance

7,910 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1764 Founded

50

Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh

For Applied Physics

#53 in North America #137 in the World

58% Acceptance

25,900 Enrollment

1370 Avg SAT

1787 Founded

51

Florida | Orlando

University of Central Florida

For Applied Physics

#54 in North America #139 in the World

40% Acceptance

59,552 Enrollment

1275 Avg SAT

1963 Founded

52

Utah | Salt Lake

University of Utah

For Applied Physics

#57 in North America #159 in the World

86% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1285 Avg SAT

1850 Founded

53

Connecticut | Storrs

University of Connecticut

For Applied Physics

#58 in North America #160 in the World

52% Acceptance

20,056 Enrollment

1325 Avg SAT

1881 Founded

54

Indiana | Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame

For Applied Physics

#59 in North America #161 in the World

11% Acceptance

15,414 Enrollment

1508 Avg SAT

1844 Founded

55

Virginia | Charlottesville

University of Virginia

For Applied Physics

#60 in North America #162 in the World

17% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1819 Founded

56

Iowa State | Iowa City

University of Iowa

For Applied Physics

#61 in North America #163 in the World

84% Acceptance

22,738 Enrollment

1230 Avg SAT

1847 Founded

57

Massachusetts | Amherst, MA

University of Massachusetts – Amherst

For Applied Physics

#62 in North America #170 in the World

60% Acceptance

17,560 Enrollment

1405 Avg SAT

1863 Founded

58

New York State | Buffalo

University at Buffalo

For Applied Physics

#63 in North America #171 in the World

74% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1295 Avg SAT

1846 Founded

59

Illinois | Chicago

University of Illinois at Chicago

For Applied Physics

#64 in North America #176 in the World

77% Acceptance

22,495 Enrollment

1240 Avg SAT

1858 Founded

60

Colorado | Fort Collins

Colorado State University – Fort Collins

For Applied Physics

#65 in North America #178 in the World

89% Acceptance

10,813 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1870 Founded

61

South Carolina | Clemson

Clemson University

For Applied Physics

#66 in North America #179 in the World

38% Acceptance

23,401 Enrollment

1325 Avg SAT

1889 Founded

62

Maryland | Baltimore

Johns Hopkins University

For Applied Physics

#67 in North America #189 in the World

6% Acceptance

6,636 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1876 Founded

63

California | Irvine

University of California – Irvine

For Applied Physics

#68 in North America #191 in the World

29% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

64

Massachusetts | Boston

Boston University

For Applied Physics

#69 in North America #193 in the World

11% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

65

North Carolina | Durham, NC

Duke University

For Applied Physics

#70 in North America #196 in the World

6% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1838 Founded

66

New Mexico | Albuquerque

University of New Mexico

For Applied Physics

#71 in North America #200 in the World

95% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1030 Avg SAT

1889 Founded

67

Nebraska | Lincoln, NE

University of Nebraska – Lincoln

For Applied Physics

#74 in North America #206 in the World

87% Acceptance

34,096 Enrollment

1214 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

68

Washington | Pullman

Washington State University

For Applied Physics

#75 in North America #210 in the World

87% Acceptance

26,384 Enrollment

1110 Avg SAT

1890 Founded

69

Florida | Tampa

University of South Florida

For Applied Physics

#76 in North America #221 in the World

43% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1225 Avg SAT

1956 Founded

70

North Carolina | Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

For Applied Physics

#77 in North America #227 in the World

15% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1460 Avg SAT

1789 Founded

71

Alabama | Auburn, AL

Auburn University

For Applied Physics

#78 in North America #233 in the World

46% Acceptance

27,907 Enrollment

1325 Avg SAT

1856 Founded

72

California | Riverside

University of California – Riverside

For Applied Physics

#79 in North America #250 in the World

76% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1954 Founded

73

Oregon | Corvallis

Oregon State University

For Applied Physics

#80 in North America #254 in the World

77% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1270 Avg SAT

1868 Founded

74

South Carolina | Columbia, SC

University of South Carolina – Columbia

For Applied Physics

#81 in North America #258 in the World

60% Acceptance

6,768 Enrollment

1270 Avg SAT

1801 Founded

75

California | Santa Cruz

University of California – Santa Cruz

For Applied Physics

#82 in North America #260 in the World

66% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

76

Illinois | Chicago

Illinois Institute of Technology

For Applied Physics

#85 in North America #279 in the World

55% Acceptance

3,135 Enrollment

1310 Avg SAT

1890 Founded

77

Kentucky | Lexington, KY

University of Kentucky

For Applied Physics

#86 in North America #280 in the World

93% Acceptance

25,534 Enrollment

1180 Avg SAT

1865 Founded

78

Pennsylvania | Philadelphia

Drexel University

For Applied Physics

#87 in North America #281 in the World

79% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1340 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

79

Ohio | Akron

University of Akron

For Applied Physics

#88 in North America #282 in the World

60% Acceptance

11,160 Enrollment

1045 Avg SAT

1870 Founded

80

Tennessee | Nashville

Vanderbilt University

For Applied Physics

#91 in North America #297 in the World

6% Acceptance

7,221 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1873 Founded

81

Massachusetts | Boston

Northeastern University

For Applied Physics

#93 in North America #301 in the World

5% Acceptance

17,432 Enrollment

1490 Avg SAT

1898 Founded

82

Colorado | Golden

Colorado School of Mines

For Applied Physics

#94 in North America #305 in the World

61% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1400 Avg SAT

1873 Founded

83

Missouri | St. Louis

Washington University in St Louis

For Applied Physics

#95 in North America #309 in the World

12% Acceptance

2,256 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1853 Founded

84

Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR

University of Arkansas

For Applied Physics

#96 in North America #319 in the World

74% Acceptance

28,859 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

1871 Founded

85

Virginia | Richmond, VA

Virginia Commonwealth University

For Applied Physics

#97 in North America #323 in the World

93% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1140 Avg SAT

1838 Founded

86

Massachusetts | Boston

Boston College

For Applied Physics

#99 in North America #327 in the World

16% Acceptance

9,942 Enrollment

1490 Avg SAT

1863 Founded

87

Oregon | Eugene

University of Oregon

For Applied Physics

#100 in North America #330 in the World

88% Acceptance

13,061 Enrollment

1245 Avg SAT

1876 Founded

88

New York State | New York City

New York University

For Applied Physics

#102 in North America #341 in the World

9% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1520 Avg SAT

1831 Founded

89

Pennsylvania | Bethlehem, PA

Lehigh University

For Applied Physics

#103 in North America #344 in the World

26% Acceptance

5,911 Enrollment

1435 Avg SAT

1865 Founded

90

Missouri | Columbia, MO

University of Missouri – Columbia

For Applied Physics

#104 in North America #346 in the World

78% Acceptance

24,449 Enrollment

1240 Avg SAT

1839 Founded

91

Kansas State | Manhattan

Kansas State University

For Applied Physics

#106 in North America #350 in the World

82% Acceptance

34,096 Enrollment

1160 Avg SAT

1863 Founded

92

Georgia, US | Athens, GA

University of Georgia

For Applied Physics

#107 in North America #352 in the World

38% Acceptance

3,177 Enrollment

1375 Avg SAT

1785 Founded

93

Ohio | Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati

For Applied Physics

#108 in North America #353 in the World

85% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1265 Avg SAT

1819 Founded

94

Michigan | Detroit

Wayne State University

For Applied Physics

#110 in North America #359 in the World

81% Acceptance

16,012 Enrollment

1165 Avg SAT

1868 Founded

95

Missouri | Rolla

Missouri University of Science and Technology

For Applied Physics

#112 in North America #370 in the World

73% Acceptance

5,552 Enrollment

1305 Avg SAT

1870 Founded

96

Texas | Lubbock

Texas Tech University

For Applied Physics

#113 in North America #375 in the World

73% Acceptance

32,580 Enrollment

1185 Avg SAT

1923 Founded

97

Kansas State | Lawrence, KS

University of Kansas

For Applied Physics

#116 in North America #385 in the World

93% Acceptance

15,019 Enrollment

1185 Avg SAT

1865 Founded

98

New York State | Syracuse

Syracuse University

For Applied Physics

#117 in North America #394 in the World

46% Acceptance

14,074 Enrollment

1355 Avg SAT

1870 Founded

99

Ohio | Dayton, OH

Wright State University

For Applied Physics

#123 in North America #435 in the World

96% Acceptance

7,505 Enrollment

1395 Avg SAT

1964 Founded

100

Texas | Richardson

University of Texas at Dallas

For Applied Physics

#125 in North America #447 in the World

65% Acceptance

21,858 Enrollment

1285 Avg SAT

1969 Founded

100 Best Universities in United States for Applied Physics

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