If I look at the Physics college ranking, then absolutely MIT and Caltech are the best schools for physics.
I know that for granted.
However, I have a very low chance of getting into those schools.
And I want to go to a private school, because I am planning to go to a grad school.
So, besides those 2 too high colleges, is there any physics major college that has good program for physics?
(Astronomy is ok too! 
)
THANK YOU!
There is no requirement that you go to a private college in order to be able to go to grad school in physics. There are many state universities that have good programs in physics. What state are you in (if you are in the US)?
-Where are you from?
-Do you have a budget?
Lawrence University often gets mentioned for physics. It’s an excellent school and significantly less selective than MIT/Caltech/etc.
What is your family’s budget? Can they afford paying full tuition, or are you looking for financial aid?
Tons of schools have good physics programs. You need to mention some other preferences (size, location, budget, highly science-focused or lots of other courses also available, etc.) to get helpful answers.
I would not let size affect the decision. Even at large universities, Physics tends to attract very few majors. And in this case, it does not matter whether the school is private or public. I would go with the best option at an affordable price.
I agree it wouldn’t affect the class size much, but the college experience itself is different between large and small schools.
insanedreamer, I think the effect of college size on the experience is overstated. There is, as you point out, a difference, but it is not as pronounced as one would expect. I think overall quality of the university, strength in the chosen major and affordability should all be considered before size.
Why do you believe you need to attend a private school bc you want to go to grad school? If you want to get an idea about size of depts, this link breaks down depts by school. https://www.aip.org/sites/default/files/statistics/rosters/physrost14.pdf
With the goal of grad school, when you are investigating depts, you should look at their course offerings and the frequency they are offered. You want to see either 1 or 2 semesters of mechanics (some condense the two semesters into a course called intermediate), 2 semester sequences for E&M and quantum, modern, thermal, and advanced lab. You want multiple courses to be offered frequently to ensure being able to take your full course load without availability issues.
For grad school admissions, you are going to want to have had strong undergrad research experiences, professors recommending you, and solid GRE scores on top of the physics sequence.
Fwiw, our current physics major is an incredibly strong student. (He graduated from high school having completed 5 undergrad physics core classes) He was limited to attending schools with large merit scholarships bc finances are a huge issue for our family. He is now very happy at UAlabama. He is part of their research honors program, has been active in research since 2nd semester freshman yr, had a paid research position over the summer between freshman and sophomore yr, and will be pursuing his masters in physics while an undergrad through their University Scholars program. When he applies to grad school, he should be a very strong candidate.
Sharing that to show you that there are lots of ways to pursue your goals. Good luck!
@Ynotgo
My residence is in NC.
I heard that the relationship with professors is important especially if you are consideing grad school, and in public school, due to the large number of students attending, it would be hard.
@newjerseygirl98
My residence is in NC
And I dont know the specifics
But my parent’s yearly income would be about $150000
@Alexandre
Probably will apply for financial aid
@insanedreamer
I don’t know. I really have small preferences on those minor things
GT would likely have a good program.
You have great instate public options. Your professors in the dept will know you bc the depts are small.
Low chance of admission aside, are you statistically qualified for Caltech (e.g., 1500 CR+M SAT)? With this information, it’s easier to recommend other schools.
Check out this thread:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/19066412#Comment_19066412
Lots of good discussion about strong physics programs in there.
You have great in-state options at UNC and NCSU, which both have strong physics departments and thus well-known faculty to write grad school rec letters (#39 and #54).
@merc81
My CR+M is only 1460.