2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
14
Ranked Colleges
342
Degrees Awarded
$12,400
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Engineering & Applied Physics is the 448th most popular major in the country with 994 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 342 engineering and applied physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 14 colleges that offered a degree in engineering and applied physics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent engineering and applied physics programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the engineering and applied physics program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The applied physics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 7 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $245 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Northwestern
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 21 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $2,670 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 74 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,858 for great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UIUC Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $7,068 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #5 spot on the list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Engineering & Applied Physics Report
With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 22 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Platteville, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $8,887 for great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Wisconsin - Platteville
With a ranking of #7, Oakland University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 1 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Oakland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $8,949 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Oakland University
With a ranking of #8, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 4 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC also took the #14 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,549 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at UIC
With a ranking of #9, Miami University - Oxford did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 5 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Miami University - Oxford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Miami University - Oxford
Case Western Reserve University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
Case Western also took the #7 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,063 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Case Western.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Case Western
With a ranking of #11, Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois Tech has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Tech is $18,515 for great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Illinois Institute of Technology
Marquette University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Marquette University is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
Marquette also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Marquette is $18,589 for great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Marquette Engineering & Applied Physics Report
With a ranking of #13, Kettering University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Flint, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Kettering has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kettering University is $24,706 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Kettering Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Terre Haute, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $33,997 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Full Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology Engineering & Applied Physics Report
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to NASA.
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