2026 Best Value Health/Medical Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Health/Medical Physics](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/health-medical-physics/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong health/medical physics education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for health/medical physics students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Health/Medical Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in health/medical physics, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Health/Medical Physics Schools
For return on investment in health/medical physics, no school beat Purdue University Main Campus this year. Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of West Lafayette. In-state tuition and fees average $9,992, compared with $28,794 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for health/medical physics graduates is $21,500. Health/medical Physics graduates of Purdue University Main Campus earn a median of $45,262 early in their careers. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
Wayne State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in health/medical physics, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,159, while out-of-state students pay about $34,650. Health/medical Physics graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, health/medical physics degree recipients from Wayne State University generally make around $48,125. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
Students looking for strong value in health/medical physics will find it at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,848, compared with $63,081 for out-of-state students. Health/medical Physics graduates carry a median of $20,167 in student loans. Soon after graduation, health/medical physics degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor generally make around $66,254. That is a strong return on a $20,167 median debt. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor admits about 16% of applicants.
Indiana University Bloomington came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value health/medical physics schools. Set in the city of Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,144, with out-of-state students paying around $41,891. Students borrow a median of $19,689 to complete the health/medical physics program here. Early-career health/medical physics graduates make about $52,123. That is a strong return on a $19,689 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Cleveland State University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value health/medical physics schools. Located in the city of Cleveland, Cleveland State University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,982, with out-of-state students paying around $18,502. Students borrow a median of $26,336 to complete the health/medical physics program here. Early-career health/medical physics graduates make about $49,648. That is a strong return on a $26,336 median debt. The acceptance rate is 91%.
University Of Wisconsin Madison ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value health/medical physics schools. Set in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,603, with out-of-state students paying around $42,103. Health/medical Physics graduates carry a median of $21,813 in student loans. Health/medical Physics graduates of University Of Wisconsin Madison earn a median of $60,435 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Chicago earned the #7 position for value in health/medical physics this year. University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $69,324. Students borrow a median of $15,854 to complete the health/medical physics program here. Health/medical Physics graduates of University Of Chicago earn a median of $81,002 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,854 median debt. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.
Illinois Institute Of Technology landed the #8 spot for health/medical physics value this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $52,202. Health/medical Physics graduates carry a median of $26,774 in student loans. Health/medical Physics graduates of Illinois Institute Of Technology earn a median of $71,315 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,774 median debt. The acceptance rate is 55%.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus came in at #9 for value in health/medical physics this year. Located in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,363, while out-of-state students pay about $28,697. Health/medical Physics graduates carry a median of $28,625 in student loans. Early-career health/medical physics graduates make about $58,659. Set against $28,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
Narrow Health/Medical Physics Schools by State
More Health/Medical Physics Rankings
View All Health/Medical Physics Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.