ADBLOCK #102
College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Southwest Region

1 Colleges in the United States
19 Engineering & Applied Physics Degrees Awarded
$75,299 Avg Early-Career Salary

Engineering & Applied Physics degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 18 schools to find the best for engineering & applied physics students.

What’s on this page:

ADBLOCK #159
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/engineering-applied-physics/offers.json", major_slug = ""
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/engineering-applied-physics/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/engineering-applied-physics/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/engineering-applied-physics/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/engineering-applied-physics/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/engineering-applied-physics/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/engineering-applied-physics/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = ""
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: No offers_data.offers found, showing generic ESYOH widget

Best Schools for Engineering & Applied Physics in the Southwest Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall engineering & applied physics education in the Southwest Region.

Top Schools in Engineering & Applied Physics

1
Rice University crest
Rice University
Houston, TX

Leading the list is Rice University, our #1 school for engineering & applied physics. Located in the city of Houston, Rice University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. About 95% of students finish within six years. About 19 engineering & applied physics degrees were awarded at Rice University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, engineering & applied physics degree recipients from Rice University generally make around $75,299. Typical student debt for the program is $11,904. See the full engineering & applied physics program report for Rice University

Narrow Engineering & Applied Physics Schools by State

ADBLOCK #173
View All Engineering & Applied Physics Rankings >

ADBLOCK #115

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 18 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

ADBLOCK #116

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs
ADBLOCK #613

Compare Your School Options