On-Campus Degrees
In-person, residential PhD and Master's degrees in quantum computing, quantum information science, and quantum engineering worldwide
Most of this site covers online courses you can take from anywhere. This page is different: it lists full on-campus, in-person degree programs where you move to a university, work in its labs, and join a research group in person. These are residential degrees, not remote or online programs. For research careers and hardware work, that physical access to equipment, supervisors, and peers is the whole point. Every program below links to its official page and was checked for accuracy.
Online courses and a full residential degree are not competitors so much as different tools for different goals. The distinction that matters most here: everything on this page is in-person and on-campus. You relocate, you sit in lectures and labs, and you do research alongside a supervisor and a cohort.
On-Campus Degree
Residential, multi-year, usually funded (PhD) or tuition-based (Master's).
Online Courses
Browse the full course directory, the university programs guide, or how to learn quantum computing to start.
Taught and research master's degrees, completed in person on campus. These provide structured depth in one to two years and suit students moving into quantum industry roles or preparing for a PhD. Programs are grouped by region.
University of Maryland
College Park, MD, USA
Focus: Applied, industry-oriented
A 30-credit professional master's run through the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, drawing on the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI) and QuICS ecosystem. No prior quantum background required; Python proficiency expected.
Official program page →University of Waterloo (IQC)
Waterloo, ON, Canada
Focus: Coursework + hands-on quantum technology
A course-based master's at the Institute for Quantum Computing, widely regarded as one of the world's leading quantum information research institutes. Distinct from IQC's thesis-based MSc and PhD tracks.
Official program page →ETH Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland
Focus: Hardware and engineering
Jointly run by the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (D-ITET) and the Department of Physics (D-PHYS). Bridges quantum theory with the engineering of real devices. Entry requires a physics or EE bachelor's.
Official program page →EPFL
Lausanne, Switzerland
Focus: Interdisciplinary theory and engineering
Interdisciplinary master's spanning computing, communication, sensing, and measurement, with an engineering internship and a master's thesis. Open to graduates from a range of quantitative backgrounds.
Official program page →TU Delft (with Leiden University)
Delft, Netherlands
Focus: Computing, communication, sensing
Anchored in QuTech, the joint quantum institute of TU Delft and TNO, and run in cooperation with Leiden University. Covers quantum computers, networks, and sensors. Requires prior quantum mechanics coursework.
Official program page →University of Oxford
Oxford, UK
Focus: Computing, sensing, communication
A one-year taught course in the Department of Physics covering quantum computing, sensing, and communication, with practical training and a four-month research project. Check the page for current entry-year availability.
Official program page →University of Copenhagen (with DTU)
Copenhagen, Denmark
Focus: Theory, experiment, and programming
A joint degree between the University of Copenhagen (Niels Bohr Institute) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Combines lectures, theory exercises, experimental lab work, and live programming of quantum computers.
Official program page →TU Munich & LMU Munich
Munich, Germany
Focus: Mixed hardware and theory
A joint program of TU Munich and LMU Munich, embedded in the Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology (MCQST). Taught in English, with no tuition fees for the program. Requires a physics-oriented bachelor's.
Official program page →University of Innsbruck
Innsbruck, Austria
Focus: Atomic, optical, and quantum physics
Innsbruck is one of the leading centres for experimental quantum physics in the world, home to pioneering trapped-ion and ultracold-atom groups and the IQOQI institute. The master's feeds directly into its strong doctoral ecosystem.
Official program page →TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology)
Vienna, Austria
Focus: Theory and computer science
A computer-science-oriented quantum master's run by TU Wien Informatics, covering quantum algorithms, complexity, and information theory. Part of Vienna's broad quantum research community.
Official program page →Residential doctoral programs where you join a research group in person. At many of these institutions you apply to a home department (Physics, EECS, Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering) and affiliate with a quantum institute. The supervisor and group matter far more than overall university ranking. Grouped by region.
MIT
Cambridge, MA, USA
Focus: Algorithms, superconducting & trapped-ion hardware, sensing
Quantum research at MIT spans Physics, EECS, and the interdisciplinary Center for Quantum Engineering (CQE). Students apply to a home department and join a quantum group. Faculty include Isaac Chuang, Peter Shor, and Seth Lloyd.
Official program page →Caltech
Pasadena, CA, USA
Focus: Quantum information theory, error correction, quantum matter
The Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM) is an NSF Physics Frontiers Center. Students join through Physics, Applied Physics, Mathematics, or Computing and Mathematical Sciences. Home of John Preskill's group.
Official program page →Harvard University
Cambridge, MA, USA
Focus: Interdisciplinary quantum science and engineering
One of the world's first dedicated PhD programs in quantum science and engineering, sitting at the nexus of physics, chemistry, computer science, and electrical engineering. Admission is for the fall term only.
Official program page →University of Chicago (PME)
Chicago, IL, USA
Focus: Applied quantum science, hardware, materials
Run by the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and connected to the Chicago Quantum Exchange and Argonne / Fermilab national-lab quantum centers. Access to the Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility and Argonne campus.
Official program page →University of Maryland (JQI / QuICS)
College Park, MD, USA
Focus: Trapped ions, superconducting & neutral-atom hardware, theory
The Joint Quantum Institute (with NIST) and QuICS make Maryland a world leader in trapped-ion quantum computing and quantum information theory. Students apply through Physics or Computer Science and join an affiliated group.
Official program page →University of Waterloo (IQC)
Waterloo, ON, Canada
Focus: Theory, cryptography, and experimental quantum information
The Institute for Quantum Computing offers an interdisciplinary Quantum Information designation across Physics, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Combinatorics & Optimization, Chemistry, and Electrical & Computer Engineering.
Official program page →Yale University
New Haven, CT, USA
Focus: Superconducting qubits, circuit QED
A pioneer of circuit quantum electrodynamics and superconducting qubits. The Yale Quantum Institute does not admit students directly; you apply through Applied Physics or Physics in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Official program page →TU Delft (QuTech)
Delft, Netherlands
Focus: Spin qubits, superconducting qubits, quantum internet
QuTech, the joint quantum institute of TU Delft and TNO, is a global leader in solid-state qubits and quantum networking. PhD candidates are typically hired as salaried employees onto specific funded projects.
Official program page →University of Oxford
Oxford, UK
Focus: Ion-trap processors, quantum networks, theory
Oxford's quantum research spans ion-trap processors, superconducting qubits, and quantum-network theory across Atomic & Laser Physics, the Mathematical Institute, and Computer Science. Applications are handled centrally.
Official program page →University of Cambridge
Cambridge, UK
Focus: Quantum technology engineering and commercialisation
A four-year doctoral training programme combining PhD research with structured training, study modules, and an industry placement aimed at careers in quantum technology science, engineering, and industry.
Official program page →University of Bristol (with Sussex)
Bristol, UK
Focus: Photonics, quantum information, hardware
The successor to Bristol's long-running Quantum Engineering CDT, delivered with the University of Sussex. Year 1 is cohort-based training; years 2-4 are the PhD research phase. Fully funded four-year studentships.
Official program page →University of Innsbruck
Innsbruck, Austria
Focus: Trapped ions, ultracold atoms, quantum optics
A structured doctoral programme tied to Innsbruck's world-leading experimental quantum groups and the IQOQI institute. Strong in trapped-ion and ultracold-atom approaches to quantum computing and simulation.
Official program page →National University of Singapore (CQT)
Singapore
Focus: Theory and experiment across computing, communication, sensing
CQT is Singapore's Research Centre of Excellence in quantum science, with around 100 PhD students across theory and experiment. Applications are accepted year-round through the NUS Graduate School.
Official program page →University of Sydney
Sydney, Australia
Focus: Quantum control, error correction, hardware
Based at the Sydney Nanoscience Hub, with PhD training and scholarships coordinated through the Sydney Quantum Academy. Students enrol in a home school and join a quantum research group.
Official program page →UNSW Sydney (CQC²T)
Sydney, Australia
Focus: Silicon and donor-based qubits
Home of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC²T), led by Michelle Simmons, and a world leader in silicon-based quantum computing. PhD and MPhil research positions available.
Official program page →Univ. of Science and Technology of China (USTC)
Hefei, China
Focus: Photonic quantum computing, quantum communication
China's leading quantum research centre, founded by Jian-Wei Pan, known for photonic quantum computing (Jiuzhang) and satellite quantum communication. Confirm the exact graduate degree title and admissions route on the official site.
Official program page →A few practical filters that matter more than rankings when you are comparing on-campus quantum degrees.
For a PhD especially, the specific group and supervisor define your experience. A strong fit with an active group in your subfield beats a higher-ranked department where no one works on what you care about.
Superconducting qubits, trapped ions, neutral atoms, photonics, and silicon spin qubits all live in different labs. Decide whether you want hardware or theory, and which platform, then find the institutes that lead in it.
PhDs are typically funded in North America, the UK, and Europe; taught master's degrees vary widely. Factor in cost of living, visa rules, and whether the program is taught in English before you commit to relocating.
Strengthen your application with foundational study first. Work through the prerequisites guide and a structured learning path so your application shows real, demonstrable quantum knowledge.