Physics at University of Delaware

University of Delaware's physics program produces graduates earning $52,741 in their first year—about $5,000 above the national median for physics majors and comfortably above the typical starting salary for STEM bachelor's degrees. The debt picture looks even better: at $26,572, graduates carry less than half their first-year income and finish with significantly less debt than most physics students nationally (17th percentile for debt). This is a relatively clean financial outcome for a field that typically requires graduate work to unlock its highest earnings potential.

The numbers here beat 69% of physics programs nationwide, though the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means individual outcomes vary more than at larger programs. Delaware is one of only two schools in the state offering undergraduate physics, so state-level comparisons don't reveal much. The real question for your child is career trajectory: physics bachelor's degrees often serve as stepping stones to graduate school, research positions, or careers in engineering and data science where earnings grow substantially.

For a family comfortable with moderate debt and a student genuinely drawn to physics, this represents a solid foundation. The debt load is manageable enough that your child could pursue graduate school without being financially paralyzed, and the starting salary provides decent cushion for loan repayment if they enter the workforce directly.