# Physical Sciences, General

> A program that focuses on the major topics, concepts, processes, and interrelationships of physical phenomena as studied in any combination of physical science disciplines.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/physical-sciences-general
- CIP code: 40.01 (Physical Sciences)
- Colleges offering it: 127 at its most common degree level

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 3 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Associate's | 127 | $38,846 | $50,266 | $8,428 |
| Bachelor's | 88 | $51,951 | $68,781 | $20,500 |
| Master's | 13 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Doctoral | 4 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 4 | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [Villanova University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/villanova-university-3127) | Villanova, PA | $80,302 | $22,342 |
| [Arizona State University Campus Immersion](https://www.collegesref.com/college/arizona-state-university-campus-immersion-101) | Tempe, AZ | $64,456 | $20,500 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Clinical Research Coordinators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/clinical-research-coordinators): $167,220 median pay
- [Natural Sciences Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/natural-sciences-managers): $167,220 median pay
- [Water Resource Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/water-resource-specialists): $167,220 median pay
- [Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/secondary-school-teachers-except-special-and-career-technical-education): $72,040 median pay

## More in Physical Sciences

- [Chemistry](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/chemistry): 1,132 colleges
- [Physics](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/physics): 772 colleges
- [Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/geological-and-earth-sciences-geosciences): 444 colleges
- [Astronomy and Astrophysics](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/astronomy-and-astrophysics): 112 colleges
- [Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/atmospheric-sciences-and-meteorology): 83 colleges
- [Materials Sciences](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/materials-sciences): 45 colleges
- [Physical Sciences, Other](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/physical-sciences-other): 37 colleges
- Physics and Astronomy: 3 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/