Best Optics Universities in United States [2026 Rankings]

1

California | Stanford

Stanford University

For Optics

#1 in North America #1 in the World

4% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

2

Massachusetts | Cambridge, MA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

For Optics

#2 in North America #2 in the World

5% Acceptance

4,535 Enrollment

1550 Avg SAT

1861 Founded

3

Massachusetts | Cambridge, MA

Harvard University

For Optics

#3 in North America #3 in the World

4% Acceptance

1,489 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1636 Founded

4

California | Berkeley

University of California – Berkeley

For Optics

#4 in North America #4 in the World

11% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1868 Founded

5

Michigan | Ann Arbor

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

For Optics

#5 in North America #6 in the World

16% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1445 Avg SAT

1817 Founded

6

California | Los Angeles

University of California – Los Angeles

For Optics

#6 in North America #7 in the World

9% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1919 Founded

7

California | Pasadena, CA

California Institute of Technology

For Optics

#7 in North America #9 in the World

3% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

8

Illinois | Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign

For Optics

#8 in North America #11 in the World

42% Acceptance

37,140 Enrollment

1415 Avg SAT

1867 Founded

9

New York State | Ithaca

Cornell University

For Optics

#9 in North America #12 in the World

9% Acceptance

16,128 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1865 Founded

10

Washington | Seattle

University of Washington – Seattle

For Optics

#11 in North America #15 in the World

39% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1315 Avg SAT

1861 Founded

11

Maryland | Baltimore

Johns Hopkins University

For Optics

#12 in North America #17 in the World

6% Acceptance

6,636 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1876 Founded

12

California | San Diego

University of California-San Diego

For Optics

#13 in North America #18 in the World

27% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1960 Founded

13

Texas | Austin, TX

University of Texas at Austin

For Optics

#14 in North America #23 in the World

27% Acceptance

43,165 Enrollment

1380 Avg SAT

1883 Founded

14

Georgia, US | Atlanta

Georgia Institute of Technology

For Optics

#15 in North America #26 in the World

14% Acceptance

1,070 Enrollment

1455 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

15

New Jersey | Princeton, NJ

Princeton University

For Optics

#16 in North America #27 in the World

5% Acceptance

5,813 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1746 Founded

16

Wisconsin | Madison, WI

University of Wisconsin – Madison

For Optics

#17 in North America #28 in the World

45% Acceptance

38,040 Enrollment

1450 Avg SAT

1848 Founded

17

Illinois | Evanston

Northwestern University

For Optics

#18 in North America #29 in the World

8% Acceptance

9,399 Enrollment

1540 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

18

Pennsylvania | University Park, PA

Pennsylvania State University

For Optics

#19 in North America #31 in the World

61% Acceptance

42,604 Enrollment

1330 Avg SAT

1855 Founded

19

New York State | New York City

Columbia University

For Optics

#20 in North America #34 in the World

4% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1754 Founded

20

Arizona | Tucson

University of Arizona

For Optics

#21 in North America #37 in the World

86% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1285 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

21

California | Santa Barbara

University of California – Santa Barbara

For Optics

#22 in North America #39 in the World

33% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1921 Founded

22

Pennsylvania | Philadelphia

University of Pennsylvania

For Optics

#23 in North America #40 in the World

5% Acceptance

1,947 Enrollment

1540 Avg SAT

1740 Founded

23

Indiana | West Lafayette

Purdue University

For Optics

#24 in North America #43 in the World

50% Acceptance

44,819 Enrollment

1340 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

24

Maryland | College Park

University of Maryland – College Park

For Optics

#25 in North America #44 in the World

45% Acceptance

31,133 Enrollment

1465 Avg SAT

1856 Founded

25

Minnesota | Minneapolis

University of Minnesota – Twin Cities

For Optics

#26 in North America #45 in the World

80% Acceptance

15,019 Enrollment

1400 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

26

New York State | Rochester, NY

University of Rochester

For Optics

#27 in North America #46 in the World

40% Acceptance

6,580 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1850 Founded

27

Ohio | Columbus, OH

Ohio State University

For Optics

#28 in North America #48 in the World

61% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1395 Avg SAT

1870 Founded

28

California | Los Angeles

University of Southern California

For Optics

#29 in North America #50 in the World

10% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1880 Founded

29

Connecticut | New Haven

Yale University

For Optics

#30 in North America #57 in the World

4% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1520 Avg SAT

1701 Founded

30

Florida | Gainesville, FL

University of Florida

For Optics

#31 in North America #61 in the World

24% Acceptance

36,573 Enrollment

1400 Avg SAT

1853 Founded

31

California | Davis

University of California – Davis

For Optics

#32 in North America #63 in the World

42% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1905 Founded

32

North Carolina | Durham, NC

Duke University

For Optics

#33 in North America #64 in the World

6% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1838 Founded

33

Colorado | Boulder

University of Colorado Boulder

For Optics

#34 in North America #65 in the World

78% Acceptance

34,096 Enrollment

1335 Avg SAT

1876 Founded

34

Illinois | Chicago

University of Chicago

For Optics

#36 in North America #67 in the World

4% Acceptance

7,598 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

35

Texas | College Station

Texas A&M University – College Station

For Optics

#37 in North America #69 in the World

57% Acceptance

60,710 Enrollment

1275 Avg SAT

1876 Founded

36

Utah | Salt Lake

University of Utah

For Optics

#39 in North America #77 in the World

86% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1285 Avg SAT

1850 Founded

37

Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh

Carnegie Mellon University

For Optics

#40 in North America #88 in the World

12% Acceptance

7,377 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1900 Founded

38

California | San Francisco

University of California – San Francisco

For Optics

#41 in North America #98 in the World

13% Acceptance

2,942 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1864 Founded

39

New York State | New York City

New York University

For Optics

#42 in North America #99 in the World

9% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1520 Avg SAT

1831 Founded

40

Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh

For Optics

#43 in North America #100 in the World

58% Acceptance

25,900 Enrollment

1370 Avg SAT

1787 Founded

41

California | Irvine

University of California – Irvine

For Optics

#44 in North America #101 in the World

29% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

42

Massachusetts | Boston

Boston University

For Optics

#45 in North America #103 in the World

11% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

43

Florida | Orlando

University of Central Florida

For Optics

#46 in North America #106 in the World

40% Acceptance

59,552 Enrollment

1275 Avg SAT

1963 Founded

44

Arizona | Tempe

Arizona State University – Tempe

For Optics

#48 in North America #113 in the World

90% Acceptance

38,313 Enrollment

970 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

45

North Carolina | Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

For Optics

#50 in North America #117 in the World

15% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1460 Avg SAT

1789 Founded

46

Iowa State | Ames

Iowa State University

For Optics

#51 in North America #118 in the World

89% Acceptance

25,628 Enrollment

1240 Avg SAT

1858 Founded

47

New Jersey | New Brunswick, NJ

Rutgers University – New Brunswick

For Optics

#52 in North America #120 in the World

58% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1405 Avg SAT

1766 Founded

48

Missouri | St. Louis

Washington University in St Louis

For Optics

#53 in North America #122 in the World

12% Acceptance

2,256 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1853 Founded

49

Texas | Houston, TX

Rice University

For Optics

#54 in North America #125 in the World

8% Acceptance

4,789 Enrollment

1540 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

50

North Carolina | Raleigh

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

For Optics

#55 in North America #133 in the World

42% Acceptance

28,422 Enrollment

1385 Avg SAT

1887 Founded

51

Michigan | East Lansing

Michigan State University

For Optics

#56 in North America #137 in the World

85% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1270 Avg SAT

1855 Founded

52

Virginia | Charlottesville

University of Virginia

For Optics

#57 in North America #139 in the World

17% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1819 Founded

53

Virginia | Blacksburg

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

For Optics

#58 in North America #146 in the World

55% Acceptance

31,035 Enrollment

1365 Avg SAT

1872 Founded

54

Ohio | Cleveland, OH

Case Western Reserve University

For Optics

#59 in North America #148 in the World

37% Acceptance

6,636 Enrollment

1485 Avg SAT

1826 Founded

55

New York State | Stony Brook

Stony Brook University

For Optics

#60 in North America #162 in the World

49% Acceptance

18,263 Enrollment

1415 Avg SAT

1957 Founded

56

Minnesota | Rochester, MN

Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science

For Optics

#62 in North America #167 in the World

39% Acceptance

1,677 Enrollment

1245 Avg SAT

1972 Founded

57

Florida | Coral Gables

University of Miami

For Optics

#63 in North America #176 in the World

19% Acceptance

2,986 Enrollment

1400 Avg SAT

1925 Founded

58

Iowa State | Iowa City

University of Iowa

For Optics

#64 in North America #181 in the World

84% Acceptance

22,738 Enrollment

1230 Avg SAT

1847 Founded

59

Rhode Island | Providence

Brown University

For Optics

#65 in North America #186 in the World

5% Acceptance

7,910 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1764 Founded

60

Georgia, US | Atlanta

Emory University

For Optics

#66 in North America #188 in the World

11% Acceptance

967 Enrollment

1510 Avg SAT

1836 Founded

61

New York State | Troy, NY

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

For Optics

#67 in North America #190 in the World

63% Acceptance

5,741 Enrollment

1443 Avg SAT

1824 Founded

62

Illinois | Chicago

University of Illinois at Chicago

For Optics

#69 in North America #194 in the World

77% Acceptance

22,495 Enrollment

1240 Avg SAT

1858 Founded

63

Texas | Houston, TX

University of Houston

For Optics

#70 in North America #197 in the World

74% Acceptance

39,257 Enrollment

1250 Avg SAT

1927 Founded

64

Tennessee | Knoxville

University of Tennessee – Knoxville

For Optics

#71 in North America #198 in the World

42% Acceptance

30,564 Enrollment

1285 Avg SAT

1794 Founded

65

Georgia, US | Athens, GA

University of Georgia

For Optics

#72 in North America #201 in the World

38% Acceptance

3,177 Enrollment

1375 Avg SAT

1785 Founded

66

New York State | Buffalo

University at Buffalo

For Optics

#73 in North America #202 in the World

74% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1295 Avg SAT

1846 Founded

67

Tennessee | Nashville

Vanderbilt University

For Optics

#75 in North America #206 in the World

6% Acceptance

7,221 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1873 Founded

68

Delaware, US | Newark, DE

University of Delaware

For Optics

#77 in North America #208 in the World

71% Acceptance

20,026 Enrollment

1280 Avg SAT

1743 Founded

69

Massachusetts | Amherst, MA

University of Massachusetts – Amherst

For Optics

#78 in North America #219 in the World

60% Acceptance

17,560 Enrollment

1405 Avg SAT

1863 Founded

70

New Mexico | Albuquerque

University of New Mexico

For Optics

#79 in North America #220 in the World

95% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1030 Avg SAT

1889 Founded

71

Connecticut | Storrs

University of Connecticut

For Optics

#80 in North America #235 in the World

52% Acceptance

20,056 Enrollment

1325 Avg SAT

1881 Founded

72

Indiana | Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame

For Optics

#81 in North America #246 in the World

11% Acceptance

15,414 Enrollment

1508 Avg SAT

1844 Founded

73

Texas | Houston, TX

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

For Optics

#83 in North America #256 in the World

74% Acceptance

2,549 Enrollment

1245 Avg SAT

1941 Founded

74

Colorado | Fort Collins

Colorado State University – Fort Collins

For Optics

#84 in North America #258 in the World

89% Acceptance

10,813 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1870 Founded

75

Maryland | Baltimore

University of Maryland, Baltimore

For Optics

#85 in North America #263 in the World

65% Acceptance

2,500 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1807 Founded

76

Texas | Houston, TX

Baylor College of Medicine

For Optics

#87 in North America #266 in the World

9% Acceptance

3,241 Enrollment

1330 Avg SAT

1900 Founded

77

California | Riverside

University of California – Riverside

For Optics

#89 in North America #273 in the World

76% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1954 Founded

78

Massachusetts | Medford, MA

Tufts University

For Optics

#90 in North America #282 in the World

11% Acceptance

7,126 Enrollment

1515 Avg SAT

1852 Founded

79

Louisiana | Baton Rouge

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

For Optics

#91 in North America #285 in the World

73% Acceptance

34,242 Enrollment

1260 Avg SAT

1860 Founded

80

California | Santa Cruz

University of California – Santa Cruz

For Optics

#92 in North America #287 in the World

66% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

81

South Carolina | Columbia, SC

University of South Carolina – Columbia

For Optics

#93 in North America #289 in the World

60% Acceptance

6,768 Enrollment

1270 Avg SAT

1801 Founded

82

Florida | Tallahassee

Florida State University

For Optics

#94 in North America #290 in the World

24% Acceptance

6,768 Enrollment

1340 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

83

Nebraska | Lincoln, NE

University of Nebraska – Lincoln

For Optics

#95 in North America #291 in the World

87% Acceptance

34,096 Enrollment

1214 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

84

Oregon | Corvallis

Oregon State University

For Optics

#96 in North America #292 in the World

77% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1270 Avg SAT

1868 Founded

85

Kentucky | Lexington, KY

University of Kentucky

For Optics

#97 in North America #293 in the World

93% Acceptance

25,534 Enrollment

1180 Avg SAT

1865 Founded

86

Michigan | Detroit

Wayne State University

For Optics

#98 in North America #294 in the World

81% Acceptance

16,012 Enrollment

1165 Avg SAT

1868 Founded

87

Missouri | Columbia, MO

University of Missouri – Columbia

For Optics

#99 in North America #296 in the World

78% Acceptance

24,449 Enrollment

1240 Avg SAT

1839 Founded

88

Alabama | Birmingham, AL

University of Alabama at Birmingham

For Optics

#100 in North America #300 in the World

88% Acceptance

3,485 Enrollment

1330 Avg SAT

1969 Founded

89

Massachusetts | Boston

Northeastern University

For Optics

#101 in North America #317 in the World

5% Acceptance

17,432 Enrollment

1490 Avg SAT

1898 Founded

90

Washington | Pullman

Washington State University

For Optics

#102 in North America #320 in the World

87% Acceptance

26,384 Enrollment

1110 Avg SAT

1890 Founded

91

Ohio | Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati

For Optics

#103 in North America #321 in the World

85% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1265 Avg SAT

1819 Founded

92

South Carolina | Clemson

Clemson University

For Optics

#104 in North America #329 in the World

38% Acceptance

23,401 Enrollment

1325 Avg SAT

1889 Founded

93

Texas | Dallas, TX

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

For Optics

#105 in North America #332 in the World

59% Acceptance

3,680 Enrollment

1330 Avg SAT

1943 Founded

94

District of Columbia | Washington, DC

George Washington University

For Optics

#109 in North America #348 in the World

47% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1425 Avg SAT

1821 Founded

95

New Hampshire | Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

For Optics

#111 in North America #351 in the World

5% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1769 Founded

96

Pennsylvania | Philadelphia

Drexel University

For Optics

#112 in North America #352 in the World

79% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1340 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

97

Oklahoma State | Norman

University of Oklahoma – Norman

For Optics

#113 in North America #360 in the World

77% Acceptance

23,329 Enrollment

1235 Avg SAT

1890 Founded

98

Florida | Tampa

University of South Florida

For Optics

#114 in North America #367 in the World

43% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1225 Avg SAT

1956 Founded

99

Kansas State | Manhattan

Kansas State University

For Optics

#115 in North America #371 in the World

82% Acceptance

34,096 Enrollment

1160 Avg SAT

1863 Founded

100

Texas | Houston, TX

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

For Optics

#116 in North America #384 in the World

76% Acceptance

2,986 Enrollment

1460 Avg SAT

1972 Founded

100 Best Universities in United States for Optics

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