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2023 Best Value Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics (Income $75-$110k)

49 Ranked Colleges
994 Degrees Awarded
$19,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 994 people earned their degree in engineering and applied physics, making the major the 448th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 49 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the engineering and applied physics program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics (Income $75-$110k)

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #1 spot on the list. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 17 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Harvard also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $20,059 for Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Harvard.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Harvard Engineering & Applied Physics Report

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also took the #4 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,686 for applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Northwestern University.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Northwestern University

3
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Dartmouth College landed the #3 spot on the list. Dartmouth is located in Hanover, New Hampshire and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

Dartmouth also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $16,661 for applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Dartmouth.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Full Dartmouth College Engineering & Applied Physics Report

4

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 #4 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 41 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $16,916 for Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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. 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 Columbia

5
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornell University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 62 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Cornell also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $21,043 for Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cornell.

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 undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Cornell University

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 21 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $17,207 for applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at U-M

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 18 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $21,601 for applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Full UC Berkeley Engineering & Applied Physics Report

8

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Platteville, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, UW - Platteville has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,029 for applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UW - Platteville.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

9
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Rice is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

Rice not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $19,697 for applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, 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 97%.

Full Rice Engineering & Applied Physics Report

10

University of California - San Diego came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 17 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. It costs about $20,906 for Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 University of California - San Diego

11
Murray State crest
Murray State University
Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. Murray State University is a medium-sized school located in Murray, Kentucky that handed out 29 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,681 for Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Murray State.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Murray State

12
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

With a ranking of #12, Brown University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.

Brown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $23,160 for Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Brown University

13
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. Charlottesville, Virginia 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.

University of Virginia also took the #14 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $22,021 for applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 97%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Virginia - Main Campus

14

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $19,031 for applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Arizona State University - Tempe

15

With a ranking of #15, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Ohio State 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.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $21,575 for Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Ohio State University - Main Campus

16
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #16, Oakland University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $16,142 for Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full Oakland Engineering & Applied Physics Report

17

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 74 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $22,400 for Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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

18

With a ranking of #18, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $14,208 for applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at NMSU Main Campus

19
University of Tulsa crest
University of Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma

With a ranking of #19, University of Tulsa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.

University of Tulsa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Tulsa is $26,042 for Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Tulsa

20

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $22,377 for Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

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

21
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Tufts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Medford, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, Tufts has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts is $28,622 for Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Tufts University Engineering & Applied Physics Report

22
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 4 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $18,708 for applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full University of Arizona Engineering & Applied Physics Report

23
ATU crest
Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, Arkansas

Arkansas Tech University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Arkansas Tech University is a public institution located in Russellville, Arkansas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend ATU is $14,283 for Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Arkansas Tech University

24
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 5 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $22,804 for applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full KU Engineering & Applied Physics Report

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Oklahoma, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $25,044 for applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 87%.

Full University of Oklahoma Engineering & Applied Physics Report

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