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Best Schools for Physics in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall physics education in North Carolina.
Top Schools in Physics
Duke University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in physics. Duke University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Durham. Duke University graduates 97% of students within six years. There were roughly 59 physics students who graduated with this degree at Duke University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the physics program make about $83,388 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $13,296.
Get the full physics details for Duke University
Davidson College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best physics schools. Davidson College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Davidson. Roughly 91% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 15 physics students who graduated with this degree at Davidson College in the most recent data year. Graduates of the physics program make about $41,505 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $19,906.
See the full physics program report for Davidson College
Students looking for a strong physics program will find one at University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, which ranked #3. This very large public university is located in the city of Chapel Hill. About 91% of students finish within six years. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill awarded about 46 physics degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the physics program make about $62,647 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $19,200.
Get the full physics details for University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in physics, landing the #4 spot this year. North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public school located in the city of Raleigh. The six-year graduation rate is 85%. North Carolina State University At Raleigh awarded about 52 physics degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their physics degree from North Carolina State University At Raleigh earn around $43,740 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $23,490 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in physics from North Carolina State University At Raleigh
Students looking for a strong physics program will find one at University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public institution. Roughly 69% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 49 physics students who graduated with this degree at University Of North Carolina At Charlotte in the most recent data year. Students who receive their physics degree from University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earn around $70,150 in the first couple years of their career. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte graduates carry a median of $28,750 in student loans.
Read more about the physics program at University Of North Carolina At Charlotte
University Of North Carolina At Asheville came in at #6 for physics this year. University Of North Carolina At Asheville is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Asheville. The six-year graduation rate is 54%. There were roughly 10 physics students who graduated with this degree at University Of North Carolina At Asheville in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, physics degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Asheville generally make around $31,821. Typical student debt for the program is $22,108.
Read more about the physics program at University Of North Carolina At Asheville
Appalachian State University came in at #7 for physics this year. Appalachian State University is a very large public school located in the town of Boone. Appalachian State University graduates 74% of students within six years. There were roughly 40 physics students who graduated with this degree at Appalachian State University in the most recent data year. Physics graduates of Appalachian State University earn a median of $79,066 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $22,096.
See the full physics program report for Appalachian State University
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 20 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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