Top universities for physics

The recently released QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 features 621 of the top higher education institutions to study physics and astronomy. 

The QS University Rankings by Subject are based on five indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper, international research network and H-index (a way of measuring the productivity and published work of a scientist or scholar). You can find more details about the methodology behind the subject rankings here. 

Read on to learn more about the best physics schools in each region. Alternatively, if you would like to explore the physics schools in further detail, click here to view the full table. 

Top 10 universities for physics 

Rank	Name of Institution	Location
1	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	United States
2	Harvard University	United States
3	University of Oxford	United Kingdom
4	Stanford University	United States
5	University of Cambridge	United Kingdom
6	California Institute of Technology	United States
7	University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	United States
8	ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)	Switzerland
9	Princeton University	United States
10	The University of Tokyo	Japan
See the full ranking for physics

Top universities for physics in the US and Canada 

The United States has 117 of the 621 best universities for studying physics in the world. Of these, six can be found in the world top ten, including the world leader Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). MIT is the top institution in the world in terms of academic and employer reputation and H-index citations.  

Outside of the top 10, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), has come up by seven places and is ranked 18th. Meanwhile, Yale University has fallen nine places to 25th and Columbia University has dropped from three places to 21st. All these universities scored highly in the research citations per paper indicator, representing the quality of the schools’ research.  

Canada is home to 20 universities offering physics courses; two of which are included in the world top 50: University of Toronto (joint 28th, falling two places) and University of British Columbia (41st, rising eight places). 

Top universities for physics in Europe 

Europe hosts 263 of the best global universities for physics. Of these, 39 are in the United Kingdom. The University of Oxford and University of Cambridge are both featured in the global top 10, in third and fifth place respectively. 

Other notable UK universities include University College London (UCL) (ascending four places to 27th), the University of Manchester (falling three places to 44th) and University of Edinburgh (dropping four places to joint 49th). 

Germany is well-known for its focus on sciences and is the third largest contributor of Nobel laureates in physics. Germany has 42 universities featured in the physics and astronomy rankings this year, with four of these even included in the top 50.  
Technical University of Munich is Germany’s highest-ranked university for physics in 2023 at 15th in the world. 

Italy is home to 27 best universities for studying physics and astronomy, including the top-ranked Sapienza - Università di Roma in 35th spot in the world. France also performs well with 23 entries this year, including four in the top 50, with Université Paris-Saclay rising an impressive 61 places to being ranked the 17th best university for physics. 

Spain has 14 universities in the rankings this year and the Netherlands has nine, with Delft University of Technology rising three places to 39th place. 

Poland and Switzerland have 16 universities together in the physics school rankings. The top-ranked university for physics among these is ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in eighth position. Additionally, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) also secures a position in the top 20, specifically at 13th place.  

Top universities for physics in Australia and New Zealand 

Australia has an impressive 18 universities in this year’s physics school rankings and New Zealand has four. 

From the list of Australia’s top universities for physics, Australian National University (ANU) is ranked 42nd, also placing it within the 50 best global universities for physics. Another notable university is the University of Melbourne in 58th, and both ANU and University of Melbourne have earned their highest scores for research citations per paper. 

Over in New Zealand the University of Auckland is placed the highest in the country at 201-250, earning its highest indicator score for citations per paper.  

Top universities for physics in Asia 

157 of the best global universities for physics are found in Asia. Of these, an incredible 39 are in Mainland China . The top-ranked mainland Chinese university this year is Tsinghua University (15th), earning an incredibly high score for H-Index and the second-best score for academic reputation. Tsinghua University (15th), Peking University (20th) are the only two mainland Chinese universities ranked in the top 50 this year. 

Japan demonstrates strong performance in this year's rankings, boasting 19 featured universities. The University of Tokyo leads the pack, securing 10th position and achieving a near-perfect score for H-index citations. South Korea has 22 universities in this year’s rankings and the highest-ranked physics school this year is Seoul National University (SNU, 33rd). 

Armenia, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan each have one ranked physics school this year, whereas Indonesia, Iran, Thailand, Singapore and United Arab Emirates each have two. Singapore is represented strongly with both of its ranked universities securing positions within the global top 50. The National University of Singapore (NUS) holds 25th position, dropping 10 places from the previous year. Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is ranked 22nd, falling by two places compared to the previous rankings. 

In the subject rankings for physics and astronomy, India is represented by 20 institutions, but none of them make it to the top 100. The highest-ranked physics university in India, the Indian Institute of Science, holds joint 110th position.  

Taiwan also performs well, with nine universities featured in the rankings for physics. Notably, National Taiwan University (NTU) and National Tsing Hua University secure positions within the world's top 100, with NTU at 83rd place and National Tsing Hua University at 99th. Out of the five universities based in Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) holds the top position, ranked in 101st place.  

Top universities for physics in Latin America      

Latin America is home to 33 universities offering physics programmes this year. The highest-ranked university for physics in Latin America this year is found in Brazil, with Universidade de São Paulo (USP) ranked 82nd in the world. 10 other top physics programmes can be found in Brazil. 

There are eight top physics universities in Chile, including Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in 132nd. Peru has a single entry in the rankings this year while Columbia has just two. 

Seven universities from Mexico are included in the top universities to study physics, with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) being ranked the best in the country and 84th in the world. UNAM scores particularly well for their international research network.  

The highest-ranked university among the four universities for physics in Argentina is Universidad de Buenos Aires (151-200), which scores well for research citations per paper.  

Top universities for physics in Africa and the Middle East 

In this year's best universities for physics in Africa, there are a total of nine institutions listed. Egypt contributes two: Cairo University (401-450) and Ain Shams University (551-600). South Africa hosts seven top physics universities, with the University of Cape Town leading the pack, ranked 301-350. 

Meanwhile over in the Middle East, there are 21 universities in this year’s subject ranking for physics. Among these universities, two are situated in Iran, five in Israel, five in Saudi Arabia, two in the United Arab Emirates, and seven in Turkey. Israel’s top physics school, Weizmann Institute of Science, is ranked 151-200 this year. 

FAQs 

Which university has the best physics programme? 

Based on the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023: Physics & Astronomy, the best global university for physics is Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) renowned for its exceptional academic and research programs in the field. 

Which country is best for physics study? 

With the majority of the top 10 universities for physics and astronomy being from the United States, it's safe to say that the United States is an excellent country to study physics. However, equally top-notch physics programmes are offered by universities in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Japan as well. 

Which physics stream is best? 

Choosing the best physics stream depends on your personal interests, aptitudes, and goals. Here's a summary of each stream and its potential applications: 

• Theoretical Physics: Highlights include mathematical modelling, abstract thinking, theoretical frameworks. 
  Applications: Fundamental research, academia, cosmology theories. 

• Experimental Physics: Highlights include hands-on experiments, data analysis, problem-solving. 
  Applications: Laboratory research, technology development, applied sciences. 

• Astrophysics and Cosmology: Highlights include study of celestial bodies, universe structure, cosmic evolution. 
  Applications: Space exploration, astronomical research, cosmological studies. 

• Quantum Physics: Highlights include understanding atomic and subatomic behaviour, quantum mechanics. 
  Applications: Quantum computing, electronics, photonics, nanotechnology. 

• Condensed Matter Physics Highlights include study of solid and liquid matter properties. 
  Applications: Materials science, nanotechnology, electronics, engineering. 

• Nuclear Physics: Highlights include study of atomic nuclei properties and behaviour. 
  Applications: Nuclear energy, medical physics, particle accelerators. 

Ultimately, the best physics stream for you depends on your passion, analytical skills, and desired career path. Explore and engage with each stream to understand which aligns most with your interests and aspirations. It's also possible to transition or specialise within physics as you gain more knowledge and experience.