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2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

14 Ranked Colleges
214 Degrees Awarded
$22,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 309 engineering and applied physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 214 engineering and applied physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 14 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.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to 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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.

Top 14 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 30 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville also took the #8 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $15,718 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree applied physics students.

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

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grace College and Theological Seminary. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Grace College and Theological Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Winona Lake, Indiana. It awarded 7 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree applied physics students list, Grace College has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grace College is $20,820 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree applied physics students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Grace College

#3

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#14 in overall quality

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Oakland University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.

Oakland also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students per year to attend Oakland.

Full Oakland Engineering & Applied Physics Report

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 77 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UIUC

#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $17,616 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, 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 Ohio State University - Main Campus Engineering & Applied Physics Report

#12 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s applied physics degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UIC

#7

Kettering University

Flint, Michigan
#4 in overall quality

Kettering University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Kettering is located in Flint, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

Kettering also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Kettering University is $37,518 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national 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 Kettering

#6 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #6 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students per year to attend UW - Madison.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UW - Madison

#11 in overall quality

Miami University - Oxford landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 3 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Oxford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $24,323 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree applied physics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Miami University - Oxford

#10

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#9 in overall quality

Marquette University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Marquette, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Marquette University is $29,756 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Marquette University

#11

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.

U-M also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $15,336 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#3 in overall quality

Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a small school located in Terre Haute, Indiana that handed out 5 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology also took the #3 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is $39,076 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. 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.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology

#10 in overall quality

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Tech, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Tech is $22,831 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree applied physics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Illinois Tech Engineering & Applied Physics Report

#5 in overall quality

Case Western Reserve University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s applied physics degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

Case Western did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Case Western is $35,428 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree applied physics students.

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 full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Case Western Reserve University

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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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