The University of Maryland Department of Physics was ranked No. 19 globally in U.S. News & World Report’s list of 2025-26 Best Global Universities. Of U.S. campuses, only three public universities--and 10 overall--ranked higher in physics.
U.S. News & World Report’s list of 2025-26 Best Global Universities
"This is a tribute to all of us working together," said department chair Steve Rolston. "Physics is a group effort, and I am very happy to be part of such a talented and hardworking team. I extend my thanks to everyone in our department."
The rankings—focused on academic and research reputations based on 13 factors such as citations, publications and conferences—placed the campus as a whole at No. 72 among 2,250 top universities from more than 100 countries.
UMD ranked No. 11 among U.S. public institutions—its highest ranking to date—and No. 29 overall in the nation. In addition to the high rating given to physics, UMD improved from its 2024-25 rankings in several academic disciplines: agriculture sciences, arts and humanities, biotechnology and applied microbiology, chemical engineering, green and sustainable science and technology, meteorology and atmospheric sciences, neuroscience and nanotechnology, optics, social sciences and public health, and space science. It also advanced in the number of publications that are among top 10% cited and conference scores.
UMD programs in the Top 20 globally include:
- Geoscience (No. 13)
- Physics (No. 19)
- Meteorology and atmospheric sciences (No. 17)
- Space science (No. 22)
Programs in the Top 50 include:
- Education and educational research (No. 38)
- Green and sustainable science and technology (No. 39)
- Energy and fuels (No. 46)
- Computer science (No. 50)