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2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

17 Ranked Colleges
813 Degrees Awarded
$15,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 2,345 people earned their degree in natural sciences, making the major the 209th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, natural sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $30,257 and had an average of $22,289 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 813 natural sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 17 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in natural sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent natural sciences 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 natural sciences 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 Natural Sciences Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. 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 Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Sciences (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins also took the #1 spot in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $3,526 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Natural Sciences at Johns Hopkins University

#2

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Boston College landed the #2 spot on the list. Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston College, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $6,353 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Sciences at Boston College

#3

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - East. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. IU East is a small public school situated in Richmond, Indiana. It awarded 3 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

IU East did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend IU East is $3,622 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full IU East Natural Sciences Report

#4

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, American Public University System landed the #4 spot on the list. Charles Town, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s natural sciences degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, American Military University has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend American Military University is $10,013 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full American Military University Natural Sciences Report

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Chico. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 9 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also made our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $10,260 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Natural Sciences at Chico State

#6

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. K -State is a public institution located in Manhattan, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,232 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend K -State.

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

Full Kansas State University Natural Sciences Report

#13 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural sciences degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

UNOMAHA also made our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $10,490 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNOMAHA.

Read more about Natural Sciences at University of Nebraska at Omaha

#12 in overall quality

Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Colorado State is located in Fort Collins, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado State is $11,831 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Sciences at Colorado State

#9

College of Saint Benedict

Saint Joseph, Minnesota
#4 in overall quality

College of Saint Benedict came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. College of Saint Benedict is located in Saint Joseph, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees to qualified students.

CSB also made our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend College of Saint Benedict is $17,143 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Natural Sciences at CSB

#10

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural sciences students in 2019-2020.

Temple not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Temple University is $18,315 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Natural Sciences at Temple

#11

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural sciences students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $17,060 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Full Dominican U Natural Sciences Report

#12

Mount Saint Mary College

Newburgh, New York
#14 in overall quality

Mount Saint Mary College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Mount Saint Mary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Newburgh, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Mount Saint Mary also made our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Saint Mary College is $18,634 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Mount Saint Mary College Natural Sciences Report

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 15 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology also took the #17 spot in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,369 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

Read more about Natural Sciences at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

#14

Oklahoma Baptist University

Shawnee, Oklahoma
#16 in overall quality

Oklahoma Baptist University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, OBU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,537 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend OBU.

Full OBU Natural Sciences Report

#15

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount also took the #2 spot in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $32,367 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. 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.

Full Loyola Marymount University Natural Sciences Report

#16

Hofstra University

Hempstead, New York
#10 in overall quality

Hofstra University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Hempstead, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Hofstra, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hofstra University is $27,616 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Hofstra Natural Sciences Report

#17

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California
#8 in overall quality

Pepperdine University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pepperdine is a medium-sized school located in Malibu, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Pepperdine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pepperdine University is $31,185 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Read more about Natural Sciences at Pepperdine 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 Agsftw.

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