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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Sciences (Income $30-$48k)

17 Ranked Colleges
813 Degrees Awarded
$16,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Natural Sciences is the 209th most popular major in the country with 2,345 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 17 colleges that offer a degree 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the natural sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The natural sciences 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 Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Natural Sciences (Income $30-$48k)

#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 $30-$48k list. Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,210 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Johns Hopkins.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 97%.

Read full report on 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Boston College landed the #2 spot on the list. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 3 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston College also took the #3 spot in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Boston College is $8,951 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

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 $30-$48k. IU East is a public institution located in Richmond, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s 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. It costs about $5,002 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend IU East.

Read more about Natural Sciences at Indiana University - East

#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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, American Public University System landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, this large private for-profit school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural sciences students in 2019-2020.

American Military University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,917 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend American Military University.

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

Read more about Natural Sciences at American Military University

#13 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska at Omaha. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNOMAHA is $11,460 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Natural Sciences Report

#9 in overall quality

California State University - Chico came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural sciences degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Chico State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,576 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Chico State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Natural Sciences at California State University - Chico

#7

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Manhattan, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s natural sciences degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

K -State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for K -State is $15,089 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Natural Sciences at K -State

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Fort Collins, Colorado, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Colorado State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado State is $11,890 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Colorado State Natural Sciences Report

#9

College of Saint Benedict

Saint Joseph, Minnesota
#4 in overall quality

College of Saint Benedict did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Saint Joseph, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s natural sciences students in 2019-2020.

CSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $17,956 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend College of Saint Benedict.

The low 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%. 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 College of Saint Benedict

#10

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dominican U is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 22 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dominican U, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,586 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dominican University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Natural Sciences at Dominican U

#11

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #11, Temple University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Temple is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 14 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Temple also took the #5 spot in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Temple University is $18,879 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Natural Sciences at Temple

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is $14,918 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#13

Oklahoma Baptist University

Shawnee, Oklahoma
#16 in overall quality

Oklahoma Baptist University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Shawnee, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s natural sciences degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

OBU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oklahoma Baptist University is $19,373 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Natural Sciences at OBU

#14

Mount Saint Mary College

Newburgh, New York
#14 in overall quality

Mount Saint Mary College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Mount Saint Mary College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Newburgh, New York. It awarded 1 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Mount Saint Mary also took the #14 spot in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Saint Mary is $18,636 for Bachelor’s Degree Natural Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Natural Sciences at Mount Saint Mary College

#15

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California
#8 in overall quality

Pepperdine University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Pepperdine University is located in Malibu, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees to qualified students.

Pepperdine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $29,593 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Pepperdine.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Pepperdine University Natural Sciences Report

#16

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Loyola Marymount University is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees to qualified students.

Loyola Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount is $35,166 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Natural Sciences at Loyola Marymount

#17

Hofstra University

Hempstead, New York
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Hofstra University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Natural Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Hofstra is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Hempstead, New York. It awarded 5 bachelors’s natural sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Hofstra has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Natural Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $30,662 for bachelor’s degree natural sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hofstra University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Natural Sciences at Hofstra 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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