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We present the ranking of universities with strong programs in physics and astronomy - the best universities in the USA with the strongest courses.
Physics and Astronomy are some of the most popular technical areas among students. US universities provide an excellent setting for the study of astrophysics: state-of-the-art research facilities, outstanding academic and teaching staff, and prestigious programs.
Higher education in physics and astronomy opens up employment prospects for students in various fields. Many physics and astronomy graduates choose to pursue science, but there are also those who choose to pursue careers in the business world.
Thanks to analytical and mathematical abilities, the ability to solve difficult problems, graduates are in sufficient demand in the financial sector. Some students continue their education in the field of medical physics or mechanical engineering.
Best physics & astronomy universities in USA 2026 - QS World University rankings
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) |
| 2 | Harvard University |
| 3 | Stanford University |
| 4 | California Institute of Technology (Caltech) |
| 5 | University of California, Berkeley (UCB) |
| 6 | Princeton University |
| 7 | University of Chicago |
| 8 | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) |
| 9 | Cornell University |
| 10 | University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) |
| 11 | Yale University |
| 12 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
| 13 | Columbia University |
| 14 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor |
| 15 | University of Texas at Austin |
| 16 | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| 17 | University of Maryland, College Park |
| 18 | Johns Hopkins University |
| 19 | University of California, San Diego (UCSD) |
| 20 | University of Pennsylvania |
| 21 | Northwestern University |
| 22 | Pennsylvania State University |
| 23 | University of Washington |
| 24 | Carnegie Mellon University |
| 25 | Purdue University |
| 26 | University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| 27 | Michigan State University |
| 28 | New York University (NYU) |
| 29 | Stony Brook University, State University of New York |
| 30 | The Ohio State University |
| 31 | University of Colorado Boulder |
| 32 | Texas A&M University |
| 33 | Boston University |
| 34 | Rice University |
| 35 | The University of Arizona |
| 36 | Duke University |
| 37 | University of Florida |
| 38 | University of Rochester |
| 39 | Arizona State University |
| 40 | Brown University |
| 41 | University of California, Davis |
| 42 | University of California, Irvine |
| 43 | University of California, Santa Cruz |
| 44 | University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa |
| 45 | University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) |
| 46 | University of Massachusetts Amherst |
| 47 | University of Minnesota Twin Cities |
| 48 | Rutgers University–New Brunswick |
| 49 | University of Southern California |
| 50 | University of Virginia |
