Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Engineering & Applied Physics

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics (Income $75-$110k)

50 Ranked Colleges
652 Degrees Awarded
$18,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $75-$110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 941 people earned their degree in engineering and applied physics, making the major the 440th most popular in the United States.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 50 colleges that offer a degree in engineering and applied physics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality engineering and applied physics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the engineering and applied physics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k

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

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

#1

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Dartmouth College landed the #1 spot on the list. Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Hanover, New Hampshire. It awarded 2 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dartmouth, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth is $14,238 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Dartmouth

#2

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 $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornell University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.

Cornell also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $23,128 for Bachelor’s Degree 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 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Cornell

#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 #3 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s applied physics degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

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 $18,039 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend U-M.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Engineering & Applied Physics Report

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #4 spot on the list. New York, 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 9 students in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $18,637 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. 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 Columbia Engineering & Applied Physics Report

#5

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. 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.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, Caltech has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,788 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Caltech.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Caltech

#6

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville also took the #19 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $17,414 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $21,401 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at UC Berkeley

With a ranking of #8, 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 $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Edinburg, Texas, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $11,400 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Engineering & Applied Physics Report

#9

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Murray, Kentucky, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,484 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Murray State University.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Murray State University

#10

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#4 in overall quality

Brown University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s 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 $21,634 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Brown

#9 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 77 degrees to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students 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 yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $21,998 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 94%.

Full UIUC Engineering & Applied Physics Report

#12

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #12, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $15,424 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Oakland

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, Ohio State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $21,364 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. UW - 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 $21,860 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UW - Madison

#15

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Loras College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Loras is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dubuque, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Loras also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Loras College is $20,530 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Loras

With a ranking of #16, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Las Cruces, New Mexico is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s applied physics degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,909 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at NMSU Main Campus

With a ranking of #17, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,042 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UMN Duluth.

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 University of Minnesota - Duluth

University of California - San Diego landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s applied physics degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $20,205 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national 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 UCSD Engineering & Applied Physics Report

University of Nevada - Reno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Reno, Nevada, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UNR is $18,336 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UNR

#20

University of Maine

Orono, Maine

University of Maine landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Orono, Maine, this fairly large public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMaine is $20,312 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at UMaine

#21

Arkansas Tech University

Russellville, Arkansas

Arkansas Tech University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. ATU is a fairly large public school situated in Russellville, Arkansas. It awarded 1 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend ATU is $13,062 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Arkansas Tech University

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. UIC is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UIC is $20,270 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Engineering & Applied Physics Report

#23

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut
#16 in overall quality

University of Connecticut did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #23. 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. The yearly cost to attend UCONN is $26,179 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Connecticut

#24

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

With a ranking of #24, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,981 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend KU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at KU

#25

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, New York

University at Buffalo landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University at Buffalo is a public institution located in Buffalo, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University at Buffalo is $21,081 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University at Buffalo

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Engineering Schools

Find Schools Near You