Best Universities for Natural Sciences in United States 2026

Natural Sciences programs

• Mathematics — Ranked number one globally in the Shanghai subject ranking with a perfect 100.0 Award score reflecting the highest density of Fields Medalists (16) at any single institution. Home to Andrew Wiles (Fermat's Last Theorem), Manjul Bhargava, and June Huh.
• Physics — Seven current or emeritus faculty hold Nobel Prizes, including John Hopfield (2024) for neural-network foundations and Syukuro Manabe (2021) for climate modelling. Operates the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory for the Department of Energy.

Natural Sciences programs

• Mathematics and Computer Science (joint major) — Mudd's strongest cross-disciplinary track and the closest thing to a generalist option in a STEM-only curriculum. Heavy feeder into quantitative finance and theoretical CS PhD programs, with consistent Putnam Mathematical Competition strong showings.
• Mathematics — Small but high-density department feeding top PhD programs. Cross-registration with the Claremont Colleges Joint Math Program extends advanced coursework in algebra, topology, and applied mathematics. Strong Putnam tradition and direct PhD pipeline to Stanford, Princeton, and MIT.
• Physics — Tight department with strong undergraduate research culture and consistent placement into top PhD programs. Recent NSF Quantum Information Science grants (2024-2025) expanded research opportunities in quantum computing and condensed matter.
• Chemistry — Includes a distinctive Chemistry-Biology joint major and strong placement into top medical schools and chemistry PhD programs. Smaller than CS or engineering by enrollment but maintains comparable per-capita research funding and faculty access.

Natural Sciences programs

• Applied Mathematics — One of Brown's signature interdisciplinary programs with median starting salary around USD 91,700. Serves as the primary pathway for students interested in quantitative finance, data science, and computational research. Faculty strength in dynamical systems and scientific computing.

Natural Sciences programs

• Department of Mathematics and Statistics — Strong feeder for top mathematics PhD programs and for quantitative finance and tech roles. Small department size (roughly 14 faculty) ensures direct mentorship; senior thesis culture is active. The Five College Consortium expands course access including UMass graduate-level offerings for advanced undergraduates.

Natural Sciences programs

• BA Biology — Solid biology department benefiting from Coastal Studies Center access for marine biology and ecology, with strong faculty in molecular biology, neuroscience, and environmental biology. Honors thesis track provides direct one-on-one faculty mentorship for students pursuing graduate study. Reasonable medical school placement reflecting student quality, though pre-medical advising is functional rather than the institutional priority it is at research-university peers.
• BA Mathematics — Strong mathematics department with respectable PhD placement and notable alumni including Reed Hastings (Netflix co-founder, BA Mathematics 1983). The department provides solid preparation for quantitative finance, data science master's programs, and mathematics PhD study. Honors thesis track available for students pursuing research-track graduate work.

Natural Sciences programs

• College of Chemistry — Ranked number one nationally for graduate Chemistry by US News 2026. Houses both Chemistry and Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. Jennifer Doudna won the Nobel Prize for CRISPR while on faculty here. Strong undergraduate research participation.

Natural Sciences programs

• Mathematics — Department holds Putnam top-20 finishes regularly and feeds top PhD programs. Cross-registration into Harvey Mudd mathematics extends advanced coursework in applied math, combinatorics, and dynamical systems.

Natural Sciences programs

• BS Biology — Strong department with active research labs in cell biology, ecology, and neuroscience. Students participate in faculty research from sophomore year. Graduate school placement at top biology and medical PhD programs is among the strongest at any LAC. New computational biology programs launched in 2024-25 expand interdisciplinary opportunities.

Natural Sciences programs

• BA Molecular Biology — Lead program within Colgate's natural sciences cluster. Genuine undergraduate research opportunities through faculty labs and the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, with summer research funding (Bristol-Myers Squibb summer fellowships and other internal funding). Strong placement into medical school, biotech industry, and PhD biology programs.

Natural Sciences programs

• Physics (Physical Sciences #1 globally) — THE ranks Caltech number one worldwide in physical sciences for multiple consecutive years. Home to LIGO (gravitational wave detection), with faculty including Kip Thorne's successors and active Nobel laureates. Undergrads take graduate-level quantum mechanics as part of the required core.
• Chemistry (Nobel tradition: Pauling, Arnold) — Frances Arnold won the 2018 Nobel for directed evolution and teaches undergraduates today. Linus Pauling earned two unshared Nobels as an alumnus. The program emphasizes original research from sophomore year onward.
• Biology and Biological Engineering — Ranked equal ninth globally in life sciences. Integrates molecular biology with engineering approaches. Benefits from Caltech's cross-disciplinary culture where biologists sit alongside physicists and chemists in a community of 2,400.
• Mathematics — Four Fields Medal recipients affiliated with Caltech. The program feeds directly into quantitative finance recruitment and PhD programs at peer institutions. Small cohort size means direct faculty mentorship on research problems from early undergraduate years.

Natural Sciences programs

• BA Mathematics — Among the strongest LAC mathematics programs in the United States, with structurally first-rank placement into top mathematics PhD programs. Curriculum spans pure math (analysis, algebra, topology), applied math (numerical methods, modeling), and the intersection with computer science and statistics. Senior comprehensive exercise required, often a research thesis or substantial problem-solving examination. Faculty mentor undergraduates through Putnam Competition preparation and undergraduate research conferences.
• BA Physics — Strong LAC-tier physics program with curriculum spanning classical and quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, statistical physics, and computational physics. Faculty actively mentor undergraduates in research, with regular undergraduate co-authorship on published papers. Strong placement into top physics PhD programs including condensed matter, particle physics, and astrophysics. Senior comprehensive thesis required.
• BA Geology — Distinctive program leveraging the 200-acre Cowling Arboretum and broader 880-acre campus as on-site research laboratory, with the wind turbine farm providing energy and geophysics research infrastructure. Curriculum covers structural geology, mineralogy, paleontology, environmental geoscience, and Quaternary studies. Strong placement into top geology and earth sciences PhD programs. Field work is integral to the curriculum, and the 2024 Center for the Study of Climate Change extends the curricular reach into climate science.

Natural Sciences programs

• BA Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology (NBB) — Unusually well-staffed undergraduate program with dedicated faculty advisors and structured research mentorship into Yerkes primate research and Emory Healthcare clinical labs. Strong feeder into neuroscience PhD programs and medical school.

Natural Sciences programs

• BS Biology and Pre-Medical Track — Strong biology department with active research labs in cell biology, genetics, neuroscience, and ecology. Tufts Medical Center proximity provides clinical shadowing and research opportunities. Pre-medical placement is solid but advising has been criticized as competitive and under-supported. Senior thesis option, faculty research engagement from sophomore year, strong placement into top medical schools and biology PhD programs.

Natural Sciences programs

• BS Pre-Medical Biology — Solid pre-medical preparation supported by the Atrium Health partnership for clinical research access. Med-school acceptance rates are above the national average but below Washington University or Duke peer cohorts. Faculty advising is strong; the institutional infrastructure is good rather than elite.

Natural Sciences programs

• BS Biology + Biotech (Salk/Sanford Burnham/Scripps Research adjacency) — Biomedical research undergraduates have walking-distance access to four world-class biomedical institutes. Genuinely unique research-corridor density.

Natural Sciences programs

• Pre-Med + Biology — Major pre-med pipeline with Boston Medical Center clinical rotations and significant research lab access. Competitive culture but solid placement.

Natural Sciences programs

• BS Mathematics — Eberly College of Science department with strong placement into actuarial science, quantitative finance, and graduate programs. The integrated mathematics-actuarial science track is particularly strong.

Natural Sciences programs

• BS Quantum Information Science (Joint Quantum Institute and Department of Physics) — One of the strongest undergraduate quantum information programs globally, anchored by the Joint Quantum Institute — a joint venture between Maryland and NIST in Gaithersburg. Direct undergraduate research access into quantum computing, atomic physics, and quantum networking labs. Strong placement into quantum computing PhD programs, NIST research positions, and quantum-focused industry firms (IonQ, IBM Quantum, Quantinuum, Microsoft Quantum).