About The Department of Physics
The Department of Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder is internationally renowned for outstanding teaching, research and service. Home to award-winning research labs, educators and Nobel Laureates, the CU Department of Physics is at the forefront of the physics discipline, with an accomplished faculty devoted to undergraduate and graduate research and education.
Rich in history, strong in spirit and dedicated to excellence, we provide a comprehensive theoretical and hands-on educational experience to our Undergraduate, Graduate and Post-Doctoral students.
Physics by the Numbers
Honors and Awards
4 Nobel Prizes since 2001
4 MacArthur Genius Fellows
11 members of the National Academy of Sciences
Student enrollment and degrees
316 PhD students
485 physics and engineering physics majors
100 undergraduate degrees awarded annually
US News & World Report Graduate School Rankings (2023)
#1 best public university in atomic, molecular, and optical phyics
#4 best public university in quantum physics
#4 best public university in condensed matter physics
Scholarship and fellowships
Over $66,000 in named graduate fellowship funding awarded each year
Over $108,000 in scholarships awarded in 2023-2024
29 Quantum Fellows in 2023-2024
Faculty and research activity
60 tenured and tenure-track faculty
$83 million in research expenditures in 2023
National labs and institutes
our faculty hold joint appointments with 6 national labs and institutes including JILA, NIST, NREL, LASP, RASEI, and BioFrontiers