2023 Best Value Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics in the Great Lakes Region
14
Ranked Colleges
342
Degrees Awarded
$22,400
Avg Net Price*
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 in the Great Lakes Region” 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.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 342 engineering and applied physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree in engineering and applied physics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent engineering and applied physics programs, but they also 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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
UW - Platteville also took the #4 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $14,565 for great lakes region applied physics students.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Wisconsin - Platteville
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Oakland University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,449 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students per year to attend Oakland.
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%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Oakland
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 23 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students.
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 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%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. 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 in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $14,321 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students.
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 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,214 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region applied physics students list, UW - Madison has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,234 for great lakes region applied physics students.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full UW - Madison Engineering & Applied Physics Report
With a ranking of #7, Kettering University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Kettering University is located in Flint, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
Kettering not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $33,472 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students per year to attend Kettering.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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.
Full Kettering Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Miami University - Oxford came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school situated in Oxford, Ohio. It awarded 5 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Miami University - Oxford also took the #12 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $24,756 for great lakes region applied physics students per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Miami University - Oxford
Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Illinois Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Institute of Technology is $23,772 for great lakes region applied physics students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Illinois Institute of Technology Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Marquette University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. Marquette is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
Marquette not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Marquette University is $30,380 for great lakes region applied physics students.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Marquette
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region applied physics students list, U-M has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $14,878 for great lakes region applied physics students.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at U-M
Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Terre Haute, Indiana, and it awarded 3 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is $38,975 for great lakes region applied physics students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology
Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Case Western Reserve University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 5 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Case Western also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $34,214 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students per year to attend Case Western Reserve University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Case Western
Northwestern University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 7 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $23,279 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students per year to attend Northwestern University.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Full Northwestern University Engineering & Applied Physics Report
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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
- *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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