Physical Sciences, General: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 27 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Physical Sciences, General pays
Career outlook for Physical Sciences, General graduates
The job market for the occupations Physical Sciences, General graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | 1,094,500 | -1.6% | $64,580 | Bachelor's degree |
| Natural sciences managers | 104,300 | +3.7% | $161,180 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Physical Sciences, General vs similar majors
How Physical Sciences, General stacks up against the closest fields in Physical Sciences on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Physical Sciences, General Physical Sciences · this major | Materials Sciences | Physics | Chemistry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 32 F | 90 A | 91 A | 79 B |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $50,842 | $89,157 | $88,303 | $73,122 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $26,621 | $72,216 | $50,324 | $46,383 |
| ROI vs cost | -24% | +449% | +444% | +252% |
| Typical debt | $12,705 | $23,224 | $20,935 | $21,439 |
| Colleges offering it | 27 | 3 | 64 | 241 |
Physical Sciences, General earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Physical Sciences, General
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clark College Vancouver, WA | Certificate | $84,491 | — | +3,345% | Strong return |
| 2 | American River College Sacramento, CA | Certificate | $68,572 | — | +2,847% | Strong return |
| 3 | Middlesex College Edison, NJ | Certificate | $59,252 | $7,250 | +2,791% | Strong return |
| 4 | CUNY New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY | Certificate | $57,380 | — | +2,315% | Strong return |
| 5 | Tacoma Community College Tacoma, WA | Certificate | $64,564 | — | +2,236% | Strong return |
| 6 | Estrella Mountain Community College Avondale, AZ | Certificate | $62,897 | — | +1,361% | Strong return |
| 7 | Pierce College District Lakewood, WA | Certificate | $57,260 | — | +1,099% | Strong return |
| 8 | Community College of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | Certificate | $58,668 | — | +1,048% | Strong return |
| 9 | CUNY Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY | Certificate | $51,160 | $7,625 | +625% | Strong return |
| 10 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ | Associate's | $64,606 | $21,685 | +418% | Strong return |
| 11 | Villanova University Villanova, PA | Associate's | $78,741 | $24,223 | +250% | Strong return |
| 12 | CUNY LaGuardia Community College Long Island City, NY | Certificate | $47,678 | $5,654 | +227% | Strong return |
| 13 | Glendale Community College Glendale, AZ | Certificate | $48,165 | — | +172% | Strong return |
| 14 | Chandler-Gilbert Community College Chandler, AZ | Certificate | $47,633 | — | +107% | Strong return |
| 15 | Richard Bland College South Prince George, VA | Certificate | $43,360 | $12,000 | -194% | Poor return |
| 16 | Tulsa Community College Tulsa, OK | Certificate | $42,049 | $10,500 | -392% | Poor return |
| 17 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM | Certificate | $40,073 | — | -418% | Poor return |
| 18 | Mesa Community College Mesa, AZ | Certificate | $40,579 | — | -464% | Poor return |
| 19 | University of New Mexico-Los Alamos Campus Los Alamos, NM | Certificate | $40,073 | — | -466% | Poor return |
| 20 | Western Nevada College Carson City, NV | Certificate | $38,449 | — | -615% | Poor return |
| 21 | University of New Mexico-Taos Campus Ranchos de Taos, NM | Certificate | $40,073 | — | -638% | Poor return |
| 22 | North Central Michigan College Petoskey, MI | Certificate | $38,816 | — | -713% | Poor return |
| 23 | University of New Mexico-Valencia County Campus Los Lunas, NM | Certificate | $40,073 | — | -962% | Poor return |
| 24 | CUNY Bronx Community College Bronx, NY | Certificate | $41,084 | — | -978% | Poor return |
| 25 | CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY | Certificate | $40,593 | — | -986% | Poor return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.