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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics (Income $30-$48k)

50 Ranked Colleges
652 Degrees Awarded
$9,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

Engineering & Applied Physics is the 440th most popular major in the country with 941 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 652 engineering and applied physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 50 colleges that offered a degree in engineering and applied physics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great engineering and applied physics programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornell University landed the #1 spot on the list. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s applied physics degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cornell is $7,518 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%.

Full Cornell University Engineering & Applied Physics Report

#2

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brown University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Brown University is a medium-sized school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 1 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Brown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brown is $6,684 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Brown

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $4,287 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Columbia

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,887 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at U-M

#5

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dartmouth College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth also took the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth College is $4,830 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 96%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Dartmouth

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $6,860 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UW - Madison

#9 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Engineering & Applied Physics Report

#8

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Tufts University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Tufts is a fairly large school located in Medford, Massachusetts that handed out 2 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tufts, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts University is $6,516 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Tufts

#6 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $9,130 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of California - Berkeley

#10

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#3 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.

Caltech also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $3,756 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Caltech Engineering & Applied Physics Report

#18 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 22 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $10,037 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Ohio State

With a ranking of #12, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $3,473 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 UT Rio Grande Valley

#13

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#19 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized school located in Platteville, Wisconsin that handed out 30 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville also took the #19 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $12,930 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#14

Colorado School of Mines

Golden, Colorado
#7 in overall quality

Colorado School of Mines landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Colorado School of Mines is located in Golden, Colorado and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

Mines did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado School of Mines is $17,832 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Colorado School of Mines

University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,992 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UMN Duluth

#16

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $7,751 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Oakland University

University of California - San Diego ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $9,974 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of California - San Diego

#18

Tulane University of Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana
#20 in overall quality

Tulane University of Louisiana came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tulane University of Louisiana is located in New Orleans, Louisiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

Tulane did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Tulane University of Louisiana is $24,632 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Tulane Engineering & Applied Physics Report

#19

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Murray State is a medium-sized school located in Murray, Kentucky that handed out 21 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Murray State is $9,185 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Murray State

#20

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
#17 in overall quality

Lehigh University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.

Lehigh also took the #17 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,363 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lehigh.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Lehigh University

#14 in overall quality

Case Western Reserve University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Case Western is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Case Western also took the #14 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Case Western Reserve University is $19,034 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Case Western

#22

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut
#16 in overall quality

University of Connecticut came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Connecticut is a public institution located in Storrs, Connecticut. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCONN also took the #16 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,157 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCONN.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Connecticut

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UIC is $11,185 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Illinois at Chicago

#24

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, Colorado

University of Colorado Boulder landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CU - Boulder is a public institution located in Boulder, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Colorado Boulder is $14,361 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, 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 85%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Colorado Boulder

With a ranking of #25, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,006 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NMSU Main Campus.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at NMSU Main Campus

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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

Footnotes

  • *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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