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East Lansing, MI · Physics & astronomy

Physics & astronomy at Michigan State

Michigan State graduates about 81 physics & astronomy majors a year. That puts it 66th of 525 schools we score for physics & astronomy, a standout program at 82 out of 100. Research spending in the field runs about $163 million a year, a rough guide to how many labs and projects undergraduates can join.

82/100Standout#66 of 525 for physics & astronomy →
Graduates a year81under 1% of the class
Median pay 4 years out$33,000
Research in the field$163Ma year, NSF
Admit rate85%whole school
SAT middle 50%1160–1360whole school

Around Michigan State

Michigan State University Observatory, 4299 Pavilion Dr, Lansing, Michigan.
Michigan State University Observatory 1290Photo: Paul R. Burley · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Sign at Michigan State University Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center.
Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center 1331Photo: Paul R. Burley · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue takes part in a working lunch and dis
“Back To Our Roots” In Michigan (20180403-OSEC-LSC-1094)Photo: USDAgov · Public domain · source
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has breakfast with students and facul
“Back To Our Roots” In Michigan (20180403-OSEC-LSC-0936)Photo: USDAgov · Public domain · source

Where physics & astronomy happens

Buildings on campus that fit the field: Michigan State University Observatory, Crop and Soil Science Research.

Named buildings on the campus map: Student housing 53 · Academic 10 · Athletics 2.

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Nearby in the physics & astronomy ranking

  1. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 83
  2. University of Minnesota–Twin Cities 83
  3. Franklin & Marshall College 83
  4. University of California, Santa Barbara 82
  5. University of California San Diego 82
  6. Macalester College 82
  7. University of California, Irvine 81
  8. The Pennsylvania State University–University Park 81

Other strong majors at Michigan State

How the score works

The score is out of 100 and compares Michigan State with every school we score in physics & astronomy. It weighs the school's overall strength; how many students graduate in the major and what share of the class they are; research spending in the field (NSF); early pay against the same major nationally; how many courses the catalog lists; and test scores. 80+ is a standout program, 65+ strong, 45+ solid. Sources: US Department of Education (College Scorecard, IPEDS), NSF HERD, each school's current course catalog, OpenStreetMap and Wikimedia Commons.

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