Engineering Physics Degree

8 schools compared · Average earnings $60,193/yr

Students study advanced physics alongside engineering design, preparing them to apply cutting-edge physics research to practical engineering problems in areas like nanotechnology, lasers, and quantum computing. Graduates typically pursue careers in research and development at national laboratories, tech companies, defense contractors, and semiconductor firms. This major is ideal for students who want to push the boundaries of what engineering can achieve.

What Engineering Physics Graduates Do

Your degree bridges deep theory with practical application, preparing you for highly technical roles. Initially, you'll likely work as a research or systems engineer, spending your days designing experiments in a lab, running complex computer simulations, or analyzing data from new technologies like quantum sensors and advanced optics. As you gain experience, your career path often forks. You might advance into a senior technical role or move into management, where your focus shifts from solving equations to leading engineering teams, managing large project budgets, and setting strategic direction. A separate, fast-growing path is postsecondary teaching, where you'll mentor students while conducting your own research.

The impact of AI on these fields is significant. For engineers and managers, AI will automate routine analysis and simulation. Your value will shift to framing the complex problems for AI to solve and making critical judgments on its outputs. For pure physicists, the change is more fundamental. With AI now handling massive data analysis and even generating hypotheses, many entry-level research tasks are shrinking. Success will demand a higher level of creativity—designing novel experiments and providing the critical, out-of-the-box insights that machines cannot replicate.

Schools Offering
8
Avg Grad Earnings
$60,193/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
56/100
AI Automation Risk
Very High
57% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Engineering Physics graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 38,100 combined openings per year.

Career Path Salary Range Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Architectural and engineering managers
$167,740
$135K$207K
14,500 +3.8% 41%
Physicists
$166,290
$117K$210K
1,700 +4.0% 75%
Natural sciences managers
$161,180
$114K$215K
8,500 +3.7% 50%
Engineers, all other
$117,750
$86K$153K
9,300 +2.1% 46%
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
$106,120
$80K$136K
4,100 +8.1% 50%
Architectural and engineering managers
$167,740
$135K $207K
14,500 openings/yr +3.8% growth 41% AI risk
Physicists
$166,290
$117K $210K
1,700 openings/yr +4.0% growth 75% AI risk
Natural sciences managers
$161,180
$114K $215K
8,500 openings/yr +3.7% growth 50% AI risk
Engineers, all other
$117,750
$86K $153K
9,300 openings/yr +2.1% growth 46% AI risk
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
$106,120
$80K $136K
4,100 openings/yr +8.1% growth 50% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Engineering Physics

8 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Platteville, WI
70
68–72
$68,379/yr 24.6x
2 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL
69
66–70
$64,304/yr 16.1x
3 Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO
65
62–66
$72,858/yr 10.4x
4 Murray State University
Murray, KY
54
52–56
$58,025/yr 13.9x
5 Delaware State University
Dover, DE
52
50–53
$54,210/yr 12.1x
6 Stephen F Austin State University
Nacogdoches, TX
51
49–52
$52,715/yr 11.4x
7 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, FL
44
42–45
$56,889/yr 2.4x
8 Augustana College
Rock Island, IL
42
40–43
$54,165/yr 1.7x

Highest Earning Engineering Physics Programs

Schools where Engineering Physics graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

Best ROI for Engineering Physics

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Engineering Physics.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
University of Wisconsin-Platteville 24.6x $68,379/yr 70
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 16.1x $64,304/yr 69
Murray State University 13.9x $58,025/yr 54
Delaware State University 12.1x $54,210/yr 52
Stephen F Austin State University 11.4x $52,715/yr 51
Colorado School of Mines 10.4x $72,858/yr 65
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach 2.4x $56,889/yr 44
Augustana College 1.7x $54,165/yr 42
Want to compare two Engineering Physics programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Engineering Physics graduates earn?
Across 8 schools, Engineering Physics graduates earn an average of $60,193 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $52,715 to $72,858 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Engineering Physics?
Engineering Physics is rated "Very High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 57% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Engineering Physics program?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of Wisconsin-Platteville ranks #1 for Engineering Physics with a score of 70/100 and graduate earnings of $68,379/yr.
What's the outlook for a Engineering Physics degree?
On average, Engineering Physics graduates earn 11.6x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →