Physics & Astronomy
What you'll do in college
Physics majors study the fundamental laws of nature, from subatomic particles to black holes. The first two years cover mechanics, electromagnetism, waves, thermodynamics, and modern physics, with calculus running through everything. Upper-level courses go deep into quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and electrodynamics.
Labs are central, especially in astronomy where you'll learn to operate telescopes and analyze data from professional observatories. Most majors do undergraduate research with a faculty member.
What you'll do after college
Many physics grads pursue PhDs and become research scientists, university professors, or work at national labs. Others move directly into engineering, software, finance (Wall Street loves physicists), data science, science writing, or teaching. The major is famous for producing flexible problem-solvers who can pick up new fields fast.
Pay varies widely: quant roles can pay enormously, while academic and research positions pay less but offer the chance to do work no one has ever done before.
Famous graduates
- Richard Feynman — Nobel laureate and theoretical physicist; B.S. in Physics from MIT
- Sally Ride — First American woman in space; B.S. in Physics and B.A. in English from Stanford University
- Carl Sagan — Astronomer and science communicator; B.A. in Physics from University of Chicago
- Shirley Ann Jackson — Physicist, former NRC chair, and president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; B.S. in Physics from MIT, Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from MIT
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
By SAT median
Earnings vs. selectivity rank
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physics & Astronomy | 702 | 7,611 | 71% / 28% | 11% | $83,374 |
| Physics | 680 | 5,944 | 75% / 25% | 11% | $84,021 |
| Astronomy | 64 | 473 | 58% / 40% | 8% | $61,852 |
| Astrophysics | 39 | 393 | 53% / 47% | 8% | $80,348 |
| Physical Sciences | 49 | 222 | 55% / 45% | 3% | |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 8 | 128 | 46% / 54% | 9% | |
| Physics & Applied Physics | 5 | 105 | 82% / 18% | 15% | $104,386 |
| Applied Physics | 7 | 76 | 68% / 32% | 22% | $104,752 |
| Acoustics | 2 | 52 | 75% / 25% | 2% | $102,635 |
| Physics (Course 8) | 1 | 49 | 59% / 41% | 16% | $116,906 |
| Physics and Astronomy | 5 | 43 | 56% / 44% | 9% | |
| Optical Sciences and Engineering | 1 | 28 | 79% / 21% | 21% | $128,564 |
| Theoretical and Mathematical Physics | 5 | 18 | 83% / 17% | 22% | |
| Chemical Physics | 14 | 13 | 69% / 31% | 8% | $61,005 |
| Physics & Interdisciplinary Course | 1 | 12 | 75% / 25% | 8% | |
| Astrophysical Sciences | 1 | 10 | 60% / 40% | 0% | |
| Chemistry and Physics | 1 | 9 | 78% / 22% | 11% | |
| Physics (CCS) | 1 | 8 | 75% / 25% | 38% | $92,167 |
| Theoretical Physics | 1 | 7 | 57% / 43% | 14% | |
| Physical Science | 2 | 6 | 50% / 50% | 0% | |
| Optics | 1 | 6 | 67% / 33% | 17% | |
| Computational Physics | 1 | 4 | 50% / 50% | 0% | |
| Physics Studies | 1 | 2 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Atomic/Molecular Physics | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Nuclear Physics | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Physical Chemistry | 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% |