Best Universities For Masters in Physics In World

The University of Oxford is one of the world's most notable and historical institutes. A self-governing institute, it is ranked the fourth best university in the world by QS World University Ranking 2023. On the other hand, it is ranked #1 by the Times Higher Education World Ranking list for 2022. It is a world-class university that is highly regarded for its contribution to research.

Located in the city of Oxford, the University has more than 30 colleges, all spread throughout the city. Established in the 13th century, the University, Balliol, and Merton Colleges are the oldest. Green Templeton is the University’s newest college.

The University has three societies – Kellogg College, Reuben College, and St Cross College and they are considered departments under Oxford.

Students from more than 160 countries and territories come to study at Oxford.

Imperial College is a global topmost university in London which includes a world-class reputation in various departments such as Science, Business, Engineering, and Medicine. The Imperial College was established in the year 1907 in London, out of all the Royal colleges in South Kensington. King Edward VII granted an aristocratic constitution by establishing the Imperial College of Technology and Science. Some values which play a vital role in Imperial College London are respect, excellence, innovation, collaboration, and integrity. The primary USP of Imperial College London is that it is the only UK University that focuses completely on medicine, science, business, and engineering. Imperial College London is ranked 12th among the best global universities according to US News. The Imperial Institute was constructed in the year 1887 to praise Queen Victoria’s Jubilee with the intention of itself being a scientific research foundation exploring and progressing various raw materials of the dominion countries. It was allocated by a Governing body along with thus Prince of Wales as the President. Imperial College London ranked 2nd worldwide in the QS World University Ranking in the present year 2025.

Founded in 1583, the University of Edinburgh opened its doors in the quaint, hilly city of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is exactly situated in Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, UK. 

Over the years the University of Edinburgh in the UK has nurtured some of the most renowned personalities who shaped the past and continue to change the present. 

As a public research university, it was one of the first to initiate Britain's literary awards. It was also here that the first animal, Dolly, the sheep, was cloned. Fascinatingly so, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle also crafted the very famous and notorious character of Sherlock Holmes within the institution’s premises!

According to the QS World University Ranking 2024, the University of Edinburgh ranking stands at 27th position, and on the World University Rankings list 2024, it ranks 30th. 

The Johns Hopkins University takes its name after the exemplary man, John Hopkins, who pushed the boundaries of education and public health in Baltimore and, since its establishment in 1876, has ensured to further his life's cause. 

The university runs with the simple motto of spreading the light of knowledge, original research, and independent thinking across the world. It’s also America’s first research university. 

This private research university has earned #32 position worldwide in the QS World University Rankings 2024. On the other hand, THE Times Higher Education places the university at #15 rank in the US College Rankings 2024. 

The University of Manchester in the UK is located towards the southern end of the city center in Manchester, encompassing Oxford Road and Sackville Street, the earlier homes of the Victoria University and UMIST respectively. The University of Manchester is a public research university known for its checkered history. Around 25 Nobel Prize winners have studied or worked at the institution while the atom was first split here by Ernest Rutherford. Alan Turing invented artificial intelligence here while the first stored-program computer in the world was made at the university. The university is known for its Square Kilometer Array, the biggest radio telescope in the world, and also the Jodrell Bank observatory with its Lovell Telescope. 

The University was founded in its current avatar in 2004 through the fusion of the UMIST (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology) and the Victoria University of Manchester. After collaborating for 100 years, the institutions merged on 22nd October 2004, creating the biggest single-site UK University. 

The University of Manchester ranking is 1 in THE (Times Higher Education) University Impact Rankings and 27 (World) in the QS World University Rankings for 2021. It is ranked at 35 in the World in the Academic Rankings of World Universities (2021). THE has ranked it at 50 (World) in its 2022 rankings. 

Founded in 1946, Australian National University (ANU) is a leading public university situated in Canberra, Australia. With more than 350 undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees, the university has seven colleges that offer courses in various disciplines. Consistent higher rankings, cutting-edge curriculum, and modern pedagogy with a vision to uplift society are the features that make Australian National University one of the sought-after study abroad destinations. 

King’s College London is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. It is renowned for its academic and research excellence and commitment to sustainable societal change. It is ranked 37 (2023) and 35 (2022) in the QS and THE World University Rankings lists, respectively. The institution was founded in 1829. 

The University of London came up in 1836, with the King’s College being one of its founding colleges. It has witnessed several other mergers, especially with the Chelsea and Queen Elizabeth Colleges (1985), Institute of Psychiatry (1997), and the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals (1998). The institution has achieved prestigious accreditations, including EQUIS and AACSB. It has 33,000+ students from 150+ countries with 185,000+ global alumni. It also has 14 Nobel Laureates to its credit. 

The institution has Denmark Hill, Strand, Guy’s, St Thomas’, and Waterloo campuses. Some of its research centers include the Academic Centre of Reconstructive Science, ADHD Remote Technology, Aerospace Medicine & Physiology Research Group, Centre for Attention Studies at King’s, and many others. 

The institution offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and short courses for aspirants. The study faculties include Business, Arts & Humanities, Life Sciences & Medicine, Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Law, and Social Science & Public Policy. There is also the King’s Business School for students. 

Famous alumni at the institution include athlete Dina Asher-Smith, author-philosopher Alain de Botton, science fiction writer, author Virginia Woolf, Sir Arthur C Clarke, poet-novelist Thomas Hardy, and biophysicist Rosalind Franklin. Poet John Keats studied here, as did social reformer-nurse Florence Nightingale and politician Sarojini Naidu. 

King’s CareerConnect is a platform for finding new employment opportunities and events and booking appointments. KEATS takes care of resources, career information, case studies, online workshops, and more. Students can also access the King’s Careers Blog for information, along with Academic & Professional Services Support. King’s CareerConnect helps with vacancies, placements, internships, graduate career opportunities, reminders, alerts, career goals, and career lounges. It also helps access career fairs, panels, workshops, masterclasses, presentations, and varied career pathways.

Western Illinois University is a public institution at Macomb, Illinois, USA. It was founded in 1899 as the Western Illinois State Normal School. It was founded for catering to the needs for preparing teachers to work at the grammar schools throughout the State. 

The name of the college became the Western Illinois University in 1967. The institution gradually included several majors for high-school teacher preparation. It then came up with the graduate school, and a college for Arts and Sciences, in tandem with a liberal arts curriculum. It also set up institutions for Education and Human Services, Business and Technology, and Fine Arts and Communication. It has accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission. The student to faculty ratio stands at 12:1 while 88% of students are transfers at the institution. 

The University Campus is located at Macomb, Illinois, within the Quad Cities. It lies on the banks of the Mississippi River as well. It has several research and study centers including the Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood Education, Central Illinois Adult Education Service Center, Children's Literature Examination Center, COEHS Advising, Infant and Preschool Center, Center for Applied Criminal Justice, Maurice G. Kellogg Science Education Center, Reading Center, and the Center for Social Studies Education. 

There are 47 degree programs encompassing master, bachelor, certificate, and doctoral programs along with four degrees which are exclusively for the WIU Quad Cities campus, namely engineering, counseling, museum studies, and environmental science. 

Notable alumni include commentator, editor, and television producer, Mary Matalin, actor, journalist and voice actor, John Mahoney, and businessperson Robert Nardelli. 

Students have an opportunity to get practical experience across the spectrum, including gaining work experience at smaller businesses, various companies, and leading Fortune 500 entities, such as John Deere. There is a Center for Career Preparation and Employer Engagement which links students to companies for projects, internships, and career related prospects. The Center also offers career appointments, along with Handshake activities, resume development, cover letter development and review, personal statement building, mock interviews and support, searching for internships and jobs, navigating careers, and a lot more.  It also helps with choosing future graduate study programs along with career planning, and career fairs. Students can also access varied career tools and resources. 

The University of Sydney is one of the top comprehensive research and teaching universities globally. The university offers a range of disciplines, with over 400 study areas and more than 70,000 students. The University of Sydney has its main campus named Camperdown in Australia. 

The University of Sydney (USYD) or the Sydney University, located in Sydney, Australia, is a public research university. The USYD comprises eight university schools and academic faculties, offering masters, baccalaureate and doctoral degrees. The ranking of the University has been consistently high both internationally and nationally. It is among the world’s first universities to have admitted students entirely on the basis of academic merit. 

The University of New South Wales is a leading public research university in Sydney, Australia. It offers personalized teaching experiences with cutting-edge infrastructure. It is ranked number 70 in THE World Rankings 2022 and 45 in the QS World University Rankings 2023. It was founded in 1949, originating from the Sydney Mechanics Institute in 1843.  

This was followed by the Sydney Technical College in 1878, finally leading to the University of New South Wales in 1958. The university has several accreditations for its courses, including Chartered Accountants Australia, CPA Australia, CAANZ, IPA, and ACCA. The Business School has prestigious EQUIS and AACSB accreditations. The university has 63,232+ students hailing from 132 countries, along with a staff strength of 7,230. It has more than 334,000 alumni worldwide. 

The University of New South Wales has its central campus at Kensington in Sydney. Other campuses include Paddington, Sydney CBD, Canberra, and the upcoming Canberra City Campus. The institution is known for its emphasis on research, offering top-notch infrastructures like the UNSW Scientia Program and the UNSW Network Labs for research purposes. Other laboratories include the Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Creative Robotics Lab, Interactive Media Lab, and the 3D Visualization Aesthetic Lab. 

UNSW has six faculties, including Business, Arts, Design & Architecture, Law & Justice, Engineering, Science, and Medicine & Health. The institution offers innovative research and innovative teaching experiences. There are a total of 47 schools along with 53 centers and institutes. At the same time, students can choose from 400 degrees, covering top disciplines like architecture and building, natural and physical sciences, business and management, engineering and related techniques, education, health, creative arts, and humanities and law. 

The University of New South Wales has a stellar lineup of famous alumni. Professor June Griffith taught at the institution as its first female graduate in 1952. Pat O’Shane AM was the first indigenous Law Graduate in the country, becoming the country’s first Aboriginal Magistrate and the first woman and indigenous citizen to head a Government Department. Justice David Wong (Federal Court of Malaysia) studied here, along with Senator Mehreen Faruqi, the first Muslim woman in the Australian Senate. Other notable alumni include Justin Jones, famous for his record-breaking sea kayak expedition over the Trans-Tasman in 2008.

The University of New South Wales offers several career development programs for students. These include virtual internships via InsideSherpa, professional development programs for international students, faculty-specific programs, and support for aspiring entrepreneurs and start-ups. UNSWConnect is the main jobs board for students, offering internships and volunteering opportunities, along with casual, part-time, and full-time jobs. The UNSW Employability Hub is another resource for students, helping them with skill development and vital skills they require to succeed in the workplace. 

The University of British Columbia, with its establishment as McGill BC in 1908, is the oldest university and one of the top three universities of Canada. Since 1915, after being renowned as the University of British Columbia, it has become the world-leading center in terms of education and research, with its outstanding and innovative form of teaching, nurturing, and inspiring the students. The University of British Columbia, Canada, has two major campuses in Vancouver and Okanagan

The University of British Columbia is a global center for teaching, learning, and research, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. Having more than 80 training sites across British Columbia for medical students, the University is also known as the center of clinical education and research. 

The Delft University of Technology, also known as TU Delft, is the largest and oldest public technological university in the Netherlands. 

World-class academic guidance to 27,300 students under the mentorship of 6,400 globally acclaimed faculty members, researchers, and staff makes it a noteworthy university.

It was founded in 1842 as a Royal Academy to train civil servants for professional work in the Dutch East Indies. Upon further extending its education and research curriculum, it became a polytechnic school in 1864, followed by a transition to a full-fledged university in 1905. 

Ultimately in 1986, due to a consensual name change, it became the Delft University of Technology, Netherlands.

The university campus is located on the eastern edge of the Netherlands, with the beach only a few hours away from the region. The exact address of the university is as follows:

Mekelweg 5, 2628 CD Delft, Netherlands

The Delft University of Technology ranking tally is particularly impressive. Internationally, it’s ranked among the top 57 universities by QS World University Rankings 2022. The same ranked it in the top 13 in Europe while gracing the university with a whopping rank 1 in the Netherlands. 

According to the Times Higher Education University Rankings 2022, it ranks in the top 75 globally, top 24 in Europe, and top 6 in the Netherlands. Additionally, the Shanghai University Rankings 2022 (ARWU) recognizes the university as one of the top 155 institutes in the world.

The university enjoys a successful subject ranking tally as well. Based on QS World University Rankings 2022, the Civil & Structural Engineering course ranks as the best program provided by any institute in the same category in Europe. 

On the other hand, ARWU Rankings 2022 position the university’s Transportation and Aerospace Engineering programs among the top courses in the specialization provided by any European university.

The University of Bristol is a public red brick university in Bristol, United Kingdom. It is known for its academic and research excellence, ranking 61 in the QS World University Rankings list for 2023. The University was established as the University College Bristol in 1876, the first to admit women on an equal merit basis as men. 

The college continued operations till 1909 as the precursor to the current institution. The origins of the university lay in the efforts made by Clifton College headmaster John Percival to set up such an institution. It has accreditation from several bodies, including the Royal Statistical Society, AVMA, RCVS, and EAEVE. The institution had 29,356 students as of 2020-21. 

The main campus of the University lies at Clifton, while it's Richmond Building is a stroll away from the same. There are several research institutions at the University, including the Bristol BioDesign Institute, Bristol Quantum Information Institute, Bristol Population Health Science Institute, Migration Mobilities Bristol, Brigstow Institute, Jean Golding Institute, Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research, and many others. 

There are 200+ degree courses available for students at the institution. The institution also has 25 academic schools and six faculties in total. Some of the top academic centers are dedicated to disciplines like arts, philosophy, music, films and television, anthropology and archaeology, humanities, theatre, English, aerospace engineering, computer science, civil engineering, health and life sciences, and social sciences and law. 

Famous alumni at the institution include Nobel Prize winner and physicist Paul Dirac; author-economist-journalist-administrator Will Hutton; journalist Sarah Montague; author Deborah Moggach OBE; equestrian and Olympic medal winner Laura Tomlinson; rugby player and World Cup winner Josh Lewsey MBE;  and actor Will Poulter. 

The institution has several industry connections, linking with numerous employers, right from smaller business entities to global companies. There are several other activities like networking events, career fairs, workshops, and mentorship programs for student entrepreneurs. Students get assistance in finding and choosing career pathways, preparing for job applications and interviews, and creating resumes. They also get help finding part-time work opportunities, volunteering programs, and internships. They can also find jobs after graduating and support for their start-up aspirations. Students also get assistance with choosing and applying for further study programs. 

Brown University was founded in 1764 and is one of the foremost American research universities. It houses acclaimed faculty members and offers an innovative and intellectually stimulating academic and research environment. The institution has remained in Providence, Rhode Island, for more than two and a half centuries! As per its website, it has 7,043 undergraduate and 2,629 graduate pupils on its rolls along with 585 students in medical school and 6,000 visiting, summer, and online students. It also has 816 full-time faculty members.

Minnesota State University was established as Mankato Normal School in 1868. Initially, the school started with 27 students. In 1921, it became Mankato State Teachers College. The institution was renamed as Mankato State College in 1957 and again to Mankato State University in 1975. It was given its existing name in 1998. Currently, the university holds the accreditation of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and many of its programs are approved by various relevant accrediting agencies.

Situated in Mankato, Minnesota, the university campus is sprawled across 303 acres and consists of numerous buildings. These buildings include several academic buildings, a huge library, research stations, a music library, a recreation center, two astronomy observatories, a student center, an athletics complex, and an administration center. The campus houses excellent residential facilities with spacious dorms that come with a capacity to accommodate over 2,900 people. It also features athletic fields stretched across 50 acres including Blakeslee Stadium for playing football. Edina campus, located in Edina, Minnesota, is one of the university's satellite campuses. It offers a range of academic programs, from professional certifications to undergraduate and graduate degrees.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University of Illinois system. This university is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the country. The former names of the university are Illinois Industrial University and the University of Illinois. The motto of this university is ' Learning and Labor' and it is a public land-grant research university. The parent institution of this university is the University of Illinois System. The academic affiliations are AAU, URA, Sea-grant and Space-grant. This university offers undergraduate, postgraduate and many certification programmes. It is located at Urbana and Champaign in Illinois, US. The newspaper of this university is The Daily Illini and the colours are orange and blue. The nickname of this university is Fighting Illini and the sporting affiliations are NCAA Division I FBS- Big Ten. This university is a member of the Association of American Universities. The university contains 16 schools and colleges and holds 651 buildings with educational and administration buildings. The mission of this university enhances the lives of citizens in Illinois across the nation and around the world through our leadership in learning, engagement, discovery and economic development. 

Heidelberg University was established in 1386 and is one of the country’s oldest universities. Heidelberg University in Germany is one of the foremost research institutions in Europe, achieving strong international acclaim and rankings. Heidelberg University’s acceptance rate is 17%. 

The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a world top 100 university, ranking 85th in the world in the highly respected  Academic Ranking of World Universities 2022 and 93rd in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2022.

UWA offers a n innovative course structure allowing students the flexibility to design courses to meet their needs and develop skills to increase their employment and education prospects. More than 25,000 students are enrolled at UWA from more than 100 countries, including over 5,000 international students.

UWA delivers world-class research and continues to attract the world’s brightest minds.  The University is a member of the Group of Eight (a partnership of Australia’s leading research-intensive universities), the Worldwide Universities Network and the Matariki Network of Universities.

UWA has a strong connection to industry and government and contributes to communities both locally and internationally. As the founder of the Perth Festival (the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere), UWA is part of Perth’s dynamic cultural scene and its campus is home to numerous galleries, museums and theatres.

Durham University is a public university in the United Kingdom. The university was established through an Act of Parliament in 1832. Further, in 1837, this public research university was incorporated by the Royal Charter.

Since then, the University and its 17 colleges have strived to put out world-leading research and ensure the highest degree of academic excellence. As such, it offers its students the means and measures to build up incredible skills for their careers like communication, team-working, leadership, and problem-solving.

The university is situated in North-east England, in the picturesque city of Durham. The exact location is:

The Palatine Centre, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE

QS World University Rankings 2022 ranked Durham University at the 82nd spot. Additionally, 9 of its subjects are ranked in the top 50 QS World University Ranking.

Sheffield is a research university located in Southern Yorkshire, England. It has around 50 academic research departments that are categorized into five different faculties. It is one of the top 10 best universities in the UK when research grant funding is considered. 

The University of Sheffield UK is not a campus university, even though most of its 430 buildings are within walking distance. Some of the buildings located in the area are in the following places:
 

1. 9 Mappin street

2. 38 Mappin street

3. 45 Victoria Street

4. 301 Glossop Road, Student Skills and Development Centre

5. 34 Endscliffe crescent, Accommodation, and Commercial Services

6. 12 Bolsover St, Arts Tower, Admissions Service

7. 241 Glossop Rd, Edgar Allen House, Careers Service

8. Clarkson St, Octagon, Convocation Hall

9. 36 Wilkinson St, Counselling Service

10. 44 Leavygreave Rd, Information Commons (IC)

Rankings: 

The University of Sheffield is ranked #160 in the world's best universities, #59 in Europe's best universities, and #19 in the United Kingdom's best universities, by USnews.com. The University of Sheffield is ranked #105 by QS World University Rankings.