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2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid

49 Ranked Colleges
994 Degrees Awarded
$19,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 49 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Engineering & Applied Physics Schools

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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 For Those Getting Aid”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics (With Aid)

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. It costs about $13,872 for applied physics students with aid 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Harvard University

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 17 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our applied physics students with aid list, UCSD has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,240 for applied physics students with aid per year to attend UCSD.

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 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSD Engineering & Applied Physics Report

3
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Rice is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 10 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Rice did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rice is $16,076 for applied physics students with aid.

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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Rice

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 18 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our applied physics students with aid list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for Applied Physics students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UC Berkeley

5

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 #5 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 41 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $22,823 for Applied Physics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 Columbia

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid 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.

UW - Platteville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $14,565 for Applied Physics students with aid.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at UW - Platteville

7

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 74 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $14,321 for applied physics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

8

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #10 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,878 for applied physics students with aid per year to attend U-M.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at U-M

9
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #9, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified ’s applied physics 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 $22,006 for applied physics students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Virginia

10
Murray State crest
Murray State University
Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Murray State University is located in Murray, Kentucky and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Murray State University is $11,736 for Applied Physics students with aid.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Murray State University

11

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

It costs about $13,107 for Applied Physics students with aid per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, 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 86%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at ASU - Tempe

12

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $16,845 for Applied Physics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Ohio State

13
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 7 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $23,279 for Applied Physics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Northwestern

14

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for Applied Physics students with aid.

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

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Engineering & Applied Physics Report

15
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

Dartmouth College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Dartmouth College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Hanover, New Hampshire. It awarded 1 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dartmouth, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth is $32,410 for applied physics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Dartmouth

16
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Oakland University is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 1 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $13,449 for applied physics students with aid.

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%.

Full Oakland Engineering & Applied Physics Report

17

New Mexico State University - Main Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. NMSU 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 estimated yearly cost for NMSU Main Campus is $10,428 for Applied Physics students with aid.

Full New Mexico State University - Main Campus Engineering & Applied Physics Report

18
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 62 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our applied physics students with aid list, Cornell has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $37,042 for Applied Physics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Cornell Engineering & Applied Physics Report

19

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,214 for Applied Physics students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at UIC

20
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

With a ranking of #20, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 4 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $13,358 for Applied Physics students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Arizona Engineering & Applied Physics Report

21
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Tufts University 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.

Tufts also took the #11 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tufts is $37,494 for applied physics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergraduate 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. 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%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Tufts University

22

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

University of Oklahoma did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $21,122 for applied physics students with aid.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

23
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Brown University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 2 ’s applied physics degrees 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 $29,544 for Applied Physics students with aid.

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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Brown University Engineering & Applied Physics Report

24
Mines crest
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

With a ranking of #24, Colorado School of Mines did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Mines is located in Golden, Colorado and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our applied physics students with aid list, Mines has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mines is $27,114 for applied physics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Full Mines Engineering & Applied Physics Report

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Colorado Boulder did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Boulder, Colorado, and it awarded 27 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CU - Boulder is $20,967 for Applied Physics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Colorado Boulder Engineering & Applied Physics Report

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